Sunday Scriptures

As Jesus appeared on the scene in Galilee teaching a new message that he called the good news, people asked the question: “By whose authority do you presume to teach? Where do you and your message come from?” Jesus, knowing that his words alone were not enough to convince everyone of his authority, combined them with wondrous actions and deeds that would earn him credibility in people’s eyes.

Blessed Solanus Casey (1870-1957) had a number of local connections in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

In the Gospels, Jesus was called a rabbi, a teacher of Jewish law. But there was something different about this rabbi as the words he spoke and the things he did were unlike any other rabbi before (and after) him. Jesus taught with an authority and power that people had not seen before (cf. Mt 7:29, Mk 1:22 and Lk 4:31), and because of this, he drew large crowds continuously to himself, who gathered around him hungry to see and hear more.

The responsorial psalm for July 2 captures the common thread throughout the readings from this 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time. “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.”

As a young priest and bishop, Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan had great ministerial success, from the formation of seminarians, men and women religious, laity and youth to the constructing of Catholic schools, promotion of lay movements and missions for evangelization. But all this came to an abrupt end with the fall of Saigon in 1975.

“The whole world spoke the same language, using the same words ... Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky, and so make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered all over the earth.

Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” While Jesus had in mind all Ten Commandments, perhaps it is the word, “if” that captures most of my heart and attention.

When I was asked to write this column for The Catholic Spirit, I agreed without paying attention to the date for which I was asked to provide a reflection for the Sunday readings. Alas, had I known I was going to be writing for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, I think I may have passed on the invitation, as there are so many other priests far more deserving of writing on the topic of being a shepherd.