The Tenth Hour

Thoughts on the Parable of the Mustard Seed One of the central concerns of Jesus throughout the Gospels is to change the way people perceive God. At the time of Jesus, God was a very distant entity. As long as you ate the right food, performed the right ritual and ticked the right boxes, God was quite happy. He was a kind of celestial health and safety official. Jesus wanted to change that - He wants us to understand that God is interested and is invested in every part of our lives. For him the minutiae of our daily lives really does matter. Bering a good neighbor, being a good listener, being compassionate, passionate - to God these things matter. As we hear in our Gospel, its from these small acts of kindness, of solidarity, of empathy  that God's kingdom grows - providing shelter and meaning for humanity. Today, as we continue our journey of faith, what small acts of kindness and compassion can we perform? What mustard seeds can we sow by the way we act, the way we bel

Homily for Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) #findyourgalilee In the Gospels, geography is really, really important. It matters where things happen, where things are said and where miracles are performed. We hear in this weekend's Gospel that Jesus begins his ministry in the region of Galilee. Galilee is a region in northern Israel. Its known for its mountains, its greenery and its natural beauty. In the New Testament its the place where the ministry of Jesus begins and is arguably most successful. Galilee is the place of teaching, of miracles and of faith. It's the place where the message of Jesus is accepted and celebrated. Contrast with Jerusalem. In the big city, the message of Jesus encounters plentiful opposition. The religious, political and economic elites reject Him and eventually succeed in killing Him. If Galilee is the land of faith, Jerusalem is the city of unbelief, of doubt and of skepticism. I dare say we encounter our own Jerusalems everyday.