Fr. Bob’s Weekly Reflections

Horatio Alger was an author known for his rags-to-riches tales. He wrote stories about how the underdog rises to success through goodwill, hard work and determination. People have always been drawn to these kinds of stories: when the misfit becomes the star quarterback on the football team, or when the understudy takes the stage and steals the show.

I once heard a story about a group of third graders who were asked to draw a picture based on the sentence: “He will come again in glory.” One child drew Jesus stepping off a jumbo jet onto a red carpet, with photographers flashing their cameras. Another pictured Him riding in a limousine with a police escort. 

Today we read about the two thieves crucified with Jesus. Their names are not recorded in Scripture, though tradition gives the name “Dismas” to the repentant thief. Both men shared in the same cruel, humiliating and public death. Both hung beside our Lord. They were both condemned justly, while Jesus was condemned unjustly. Yet the choices the thieves made could not have been more different.

What Jesus tells us in today’s Gospel isn’t easy to hear. He speaks of wars, earthquakes, famine and plague – all things we would rather avoid. Sadly, we don’t need St. Luke’s Gospel to learn of such tragedies. A glance at a newspaper or a few minutes of nightly television reveal more than enough heartbreak and destruction.

Our first reading today is one of the most remarkable stories in all of Hebrew literature. It tells of a mother who is forced to watch her seven sons die a brutal death, all in a single day.

Today the Church celebrates All Souls Day, a time to pray for those who have gone before us in faith. St. Paul reminds us that after death comes judgment.

In 1967, a book was published titled, “I’m OK, You’re OK.” It sold hundreds of thousands of copies and became very popular. It stayed on the bestseller list for months. Why did it cause such a stir? After all, the author wasn’t revealing anything we didn’t already know. So why did so many people feel compelled to read it?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus introduces us to two strikingly different characters: a powerful judge and a powerless widow. The contrast could not be sharper.

There is a certain irony, and even tragedy, in our Gospel story today. We have 10 lepers: nine Jews and one Samaritan. The Samaritan was the odd man out. Unwelcome in Jerusalem, unwelcome in the Temple.

My friends, imagine for a moment stepping into a time machine and traveling back to the historic year of 1776, holding a copy of a morning newspaper from our own time. Now, picture the people of that time trying to read it. How much would they understand?

In 1950, Albert Schweitzer was named “Man of the Century” during a gathering with representatives from 17 different countries. Just two years later, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Years ago, I read about a priest who was leading a retreat in a federal prison in the South. One of his talks focused on Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness.

Today is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but I’d like to turn our attention to a deeper celebration today: the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross.

In the 1960s, a man named Gale Sayers played for the Chicago Bears football team. He is remembered as one of the greatest players in professional football history. Around his neck, he always wore a gold medal – about the size of a silver dollar – with three simple words engraved on it: “I Am Third.”

Many will remember the famed Miami Dolphins football coach, Don Shula. Years ago, he and his family took a vacation in northern Maine. One rainy afternoon, they decided to go see a movie.