July 27th, 2014 A.D. Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Matthew 13:44-52 The surpassing treasure of God's kingdom

July Homilies:  6th | 13th | 20th | 27th
Return to June Homilies

In today’s Gospel St. Matthew continues his “logical” organization of the words and deeds of Jesus by topics or by similarity of words. 

The related topics in this passage are the expression of Jesus’s concern for little children and His love for us as members of His family. The latter passage in which He says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light does not seem to fit the reality of our lives.

The yoke is often hard and the burden is heavy.

Jesus obviously means that if we can identify with the love of God which he experiences life will look very different. Alas, it is so hard to do that.

Fr. Greeley's Last Book:

Once upon a time there was a boss and an administrative assistant. The a.a. was not the most ambitious or reliable person in the world, but he tried hard at least some of the time. The boss was generous and good-hearted because it was in her nature to do so. When she corrected his mistakes she did so very gently.

When holidays fell in the middle of the week (like July 4 this year), she gave the rest of the days off. She gave him the week after Christmas off because, as she said, nothing ever gets done that week anyhow.

On Summer Fridays she let him go home at noon. Whenever he needed time off to go to the doctor or for some family event, she gave it to him without question. She granted him a substantial raise every year and wrote generous reports on him to the personnel office.

Finally, he saw what he thought would be a better job and quit without notice.

He told the new a.a. “You won’t like working for her, she’s too demanding.”

Articles | Messages | Author | Homilies | Previews | Mailbox Newsletters | Home

July Homilies:  6th | 13th | 20th | 27th
Return to June Homilies

Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130

57 The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep your words.
72 The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
76 Let your steadfast love be ready to comfort me according to your promise to your servant.
77 Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight.
127 Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I direct my steps by all your precepts; I hate every false way.
129 Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

Articles | Messages | Author | Homilies | Previews | Mailbox Newsletters | Home

Father Greeley's blog - Read and comment on new articles directly? Click here:

Why Stay Catholic?
Catholic publishing eminence Leach asks, and answers, a good question that the nation’s second largest non-congregation – the church of ex-Catholics poses.
This book has a chapter about Fr. Greeley and is dedicated to him. Great read!
Order Book 
Read Reviews
CatholicMom Review