Calling of Saints Peter and Andrew, Caravaggio
c. 1603 – 1606, Hampton Court Palace

He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
(Matthew 4:19–20)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 1:10–13, 17
January 21, 2023

In a previous assignment, I sent a group of parishioners to a leaders’ meeting to organize for a neighborhood initiative. When the time came to energy where they were from, they called out “Father Smith’s Church.” A Baptist minister who was present, a wise man and good friend, called me that night. He said that in his experience this was a sign of admiration and affection but also presented grave dangers. When a church becomes overidentified with any human being, it is in danger of losing sight of both Jesus and neighbor and is an invitation to factionalism. I addressed it with several homilies at Mass but not, alas, with the reading today. Human beings need affirmation and recognition, but Paul is reminding both leaders and followers that for Christians that can only come by putting Jesus first. Everything and everyone else are secondary.

Continue reading “3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Becoming Closer to Christ and Each Other” →

The Baptism of Christ, Guido Reni, 1622-1623,
Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna)

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
(John 1:29)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Corinthians 1:1–3
January 15, 2023

What a difference a half century makes. I was first taught the conventions of letter writing in the time of St. Paul about 1973. I admired that the structure was clear but allowed for considerable creativity. We will see this week and next how Paul accepts the techniques for a formal opening but adapts them for his needs. The importance of letters, however, eluded me. They held that a well-written letter made the person present. They would even use the word “/Parousia/” which we use for the return of Jesus for the presence of the author. This seemed extreme.

At the time of my formal introduction to the Bible in the seminary, letters were the most popular means of communication. There were only two public phones for over 100 people and a phone call was expensive. So, we wrote letters usually by hand. Except for thank you and condolence letters I stopped writing them with the introduction of email, texting, and WhatsApp. An incident during the COVID lockdown, however, taught me the power of a well-constructed letter. I didn’t have the digital contact information for one of our young professionals, so I sent her a letter asking how she was. She called me and told me it was the first personal letter she had ever received and how much it meant to her. Something is conveyed in a letter that cannot be emailed, texted, or certainly tweeted.

Continue reading “2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – The Source of Rejoicing and Harmony” →