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After weeks of teachings to warn His disciples about being a stumbling block for others on the journey of discipleship, this Sunday’s Gospel seems to bring much needed correction.

Saint Luke's account of Jesus' challenging preaching continues this week with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Wealth and poverty seem to cross each other again. But there is more to the story – it is indifference and complacency what is at stake here.

The Gospel for today presents a “spiritual puzzle” as the parable ends with this phrase, “and the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.” The steward knew that his time of employment was coming to an end and before the final moment, he uses his connections and position to prepare for the future.

Although the shock and pain since September 11, 2001, has slowly faded, for many Americans life no longer will be the same.

The message for this Sunday reminds us about the significance of the Cross – the central image in the life of Jesus and in the life of those who follow in His name.

In the Gospel today, Jesus lays down the rules for the etiquette for “gospel seating” and the compilation of the guest list.

Today the Gospel presents us with one of the most important questions in life – who will be saved?

This Sunday’s Gospel reminds us of the reason why Jesus, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, left His heavenly dwelling and became one of us…“to set the earth on fire!” Just like the Holy Spirit came down as tongues of fire to inflame the followers of Jesus in the early Church, to live and preach the Gospel, Jesus came down with the same holy fire of His love, to make us bearers of His light of truth, faith, and hope.

The United States Coast Guard summarizes today’s gospel in one forceful and brief Latin phrase: Semper Paratus: Always Ready. The message and parables of today’s Gospel are stitched together with themes of vigilance, preparedness, generosity and fidelity. Christians are to be “girded” ready for action. Readiness is an amazing disposition of a Christian’s character and identity. It is the realization that the most important aspect in life is to live in communion with God. The only way we will experience the fulfillment of His promises in this life and the next, we need to make our friendship with God the number one priority of our lives. Only then, will we be able to experience true meaning and carry out our tasks to fulfill our mission as His disciples in our lives that calls us to know, love, and serve God and our neighbor in a unique way. The extent of our trust, readiness, integrity and our “treasure” (what we most value and desire) of our mission will be the expression of discovering and fulfilling that supernatural task and purpose in our lives. Jesus wants us to live in such a close relationship with Him, to be vigilant, and to trust His direction of where to place and invest our treasure not because it is the right thing to do, but because He loves us, He wants us, and He encourages our own happiness. Semper Paratus.

“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” The readings for this Sunday bring our attention on the meaning and purpose of life. The meaning of life does not consist in getting rich nor do our lives not consist of having possessions. The purpose of life is not to have the most “toys”- no matter how wonderful and beautiful and useful they are. No matter how hard you try to collect them, they cannot provide ends in themselves. But rather they are a means to an end, instruments to help us fulfill a much higher purpose, that of knowing and loving God.

Today's liturgy invites us to focus on Jesus and His witness of the importance of prayer as we are invited to the school of Jesus – a school of faith to “teach us to pray.” The Divine Teacher praises God’s generosity, mercy and attentive love in rich and varied ways and in turn tells us to call God the “Father”.  Jesus’ life was a constant communication with His Father- a penetrating, most intimate relationship between them.  Jesus’ example teaches us to pray to God, who is the most generous and caring Father, for all our needs.

We live in an age and a culture in which we think that there are so many things that we “have to” do.  One of the recent polls of American women revealed that their greatest desire is for more time; there is not enough time in a day, they say, to accomplish all of the things they have to do, from work, to taxiing their kids from one event to another, to various chores around the home, to the countless other time-consuming activities that occupy their ever-diminishing waking hours.  Scores of American men have long complained that, because of all of the various things that they have to do, they have less and less time to do the things that are really important.

We are to love God and our neighbor with all the strength of our being, as the scholar of the Law answers Jesus in this Sunday’s Gospel. This command is nothing remote or mysterious—it’s already written in our hearts, in the book of Sacred Scripture. “You have only to carry it out,” Moses says in this week’s First Reading. Jesus tells His interrogator the same thing: “Do this and you will live.”

With the celebration of the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, we entered the month of July – the month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. July is vacation time in full swing - the time of summer heat, traveling and relaxation. It is also a time when our journey of faith continues to invite us to reflect upon our relationship with Jesus and the significant role Christ plays in our lives. So together with the Gospel of Luke we continue to follow Jesus on His way to Jerusalem.

The context for this Sunday’s Gospel sets the tone for the upcoming months of Ordinary Time for us as it reaches a crucial turning point today. From now on, Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem for the last time. As the Gospel relates, the road Jesus takes is signposted with encounters and events that provides a deep and profound lesson of discipleship.

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today in our celebration we share in the essence of our faith what Jesus tells us in the Gospel, "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My body has eternal life." The significance of Jesus’ statement is echoed by St. Paul who reminds us that we "participate in the body of Christ," when we break the bread and the cup we drink is "a participation in the blood of Christ." On this Solemnity of Corpus Christi we proclaim the greatest gift of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, "the source and the summit of the Christian life" - reality from which everything in our life flows (source) and the reality toward which everything in our life is directed (summit), reality that gives us – the faithful – an energy, vision and hope to foster a true civilization of love.

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Today the Church celebrates Trinity Sunday or "The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity."  It is one of the few feasts of the Liturgical Year that celebrates a reality and doctrine rather than an event or person. On Trinity Sunday we remember and honor the eternal God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Today the Church celebrates Pentecost as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles who were gathered in an upper room with Mary the Mother of Jesus as “He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”   Ever since that time, the Church has wanted us to learn from that experience how to desire the Holy Spirit.

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord It is with great joy to share with you that Pope Francis appointed a new bishop for our diocese. Bishop-elect Erik Pohlmeier is a priest of the Diocese of Little Rock, and currently serves as pastor at Christ the King parish in Little Rock, and as director of the diocese’s continuing education for clergy, the permanent diaconate formation program, and the office of faith formation. Please join me in prayer to welcome the new shepherd of our diocese.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”   The sixth Sunday of this Easter Season directs us to the message of the resurrection and the joy it brings. Today’s readings are about the effect of the abiding presence of God in His Church and of His indwelling in each one of us. Particularly, in today’s Gospel Jesus talks to us about Love, Peace and the Advocate – the Spirit of Truth. Our hearts were made for love and peace and will remain restless until we have them. The daily news reminds us each morning of how much our world needs this real peace and love. But love and peace are not things we can just wish into existence; no matter how many songs and poems we write about them, no matter how long we talk about them, we will not truly experience them until we follow the means Jesus describes in the Gospel. As with the new love commandment, this peace is also new. It is not sentimental, complacent, secure, or even conflict-free. It is new because Jesus says, “My peace” is a peace that comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. It is a gift given not in the context of cozy table talk, but on the eve of His death when one friend has already become an enemy and left the companionship of the table, and Jesus is saying goodbyes to those who, with one exception, will fail to stand by Him during the time of His trial and death. He assures them that they should not be afraid but find new courage in His peace. This peace is shalom, the right relationship that flows from our loving union with God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.