Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

"Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us." How many of us will mutter such words to ourselves before Pope Francis' visit to the United States is over? Sure, we will lap up the mercy stuff. But what about when he challenges the "jealousy and selfish ambition" that permeates our hearts and souls? Left, right, center, whatever; none of us are getting a free pass. So how will you respond? Turf protection mode, as the wicked ones do? Or a hearty alleluia for grace that is truly sustaining?

Wisdom 2:12-20; Psalms 54:3-8; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wisdom 2:12-20; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37

Family is about putting your siblings first; attending to their needs before your own. Jesus does not demand radical things from us. He simply asks us to be the family that we already are, and for that we must kill him. He is like the crazy uncle at Thanksgiving, who speaks the truths no one wants to hear, that we try to laugh off, even though we long to be just like him, but we won't, because truth is too scary, so it's better to mock the old fool and live in fear, after all, who the hell is he to question our choices, our desires, I mean, look at the world we've created ...