A reflection for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. The Church has long understood itself as a watchman, called to teach, warn, and guide. But Psalm 95 asks a harder question: can the Church also listen when the warning is directed toward itself? A faithful Church must be willing not only to speak truth, but to receive it—from women, survivors, laypeople, grieving families, young people, and others whose voices have too often been dismissed. Authority does not remove the need for humility; it deepens it.

A reflection on Luke 6:6-11 for Monday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time. We all have withered places we would rather keep tucked away—family wounds, unanswered prayers, old grief, or relationships we cannot fix. In today’s Gospel, Jesus does not ask the man to heal himself. He simply says, “Stretch out your hand.” Maybe that is His invitation to us, too: bring Him the wounded place, trust Him with it, and let Him decide what restoration will look like.

A reflection for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Church has given Mary many magnificent titles. “Someone’s baby” is not usually among them, but perhaps on this feast it should be. Before Mary was Queen of Heaven or Mother of God, she was small, vulnerable, and dependent on others. Her birthday reminds us that God often begins quietly, hidden within ordinary human life.

A reflection on Luke 6:20-26 for Wednesday of the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time. Here’s a concise excerpt that captures the heart of the reflection:

The Beatitudes are more than promises of comfort; they are a map showing us where Christ chooses to stand. Jesus points us toward the poor, the grieving, the hungry, and the excluded—and asks us to look for him there. If we want to draw closer to Christ, we may need to move closer to the people and places the world too easily overlooks.