Old Woman Praying, Arent de Gelder, c. 1700

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.'”
(Luke 18:1–5)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Timothy 3:14-4:2
October 16, 2022

We continue today with our reading of the 2^nd letter of St. Paul to Timothy. We are approaching it as an epistolary novel. Although the author is not St. Paul, he is writing not long after Paul’s death to people known by Paul and the community. His overall aim is to show that Paul’s gospel can continue without Paul but not without the ideas that Paul believed and the virtues he lived. One of the advantages of this novel approach is that it shows us the importance of a personal relationship with those with whom we wish to share the good news.

Continue reading “29th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Being Formed in His Word” →

Healing of the Ten Lepers, Jesus Mafa, 1973
from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.
Original source: http://www.librairie-emmanuel.fr.
(About this Image)

Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
(Luke 17:17–19)

Fr. Smith’s Commentary on the Second Reading
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
2 Timothy 2:8–13
October 9, 2022

Last week we began examining the second letter of Paul to St Timothy
and I suggested that we read it as an epistolary novel. That is a novel
written in the form of a letter or letters. We will assume that the
author knew both Paul and Timothy as would many of those who read the
letter. The people are most likely real, and the situations would be
authentic. We will once more for convenience refer to the author as
Paul.

The instructions that Paul gave to Timothy on building the church are
less directed to its administrative structure than the attitudes and
virtues needed to lead a church. This week he will emphasize that no
matter who becomes Christian, the gospel requires a lively recognition
that Jesus was a Jew and that following him will not be easy.

Continue reading “28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Remembering Jesus Is Risen” →