“…You are an obstacle to me…” There is no guessing about what God considers faith “obstacles” in our minds toward God’s ways. The very next line in this Gospel lays it out as clear as can be: “You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Merriam Webster defines ob·sta·cle | \ ˈäb-sti-kəl as “something thatimpedes progress or achievement.”

On this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time we hear from the Prophet Isaiah, St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, and from the Gospel of Matthew. The readings speak to us first about the human person and how an abuse of authority can lead delusions of “self aggrandizement”. Our second reading addresses the immensity of God, His ways and our human inability to fully grasp His goodness, mercy and plan; while the gospel as our third reading talks to us about the Kingdom of God, how God’s power and authority flows to His Church, and the meaning of the Magisterium and its relationship with the Body of Christ--you and me.

In February 2020 Archbishop Leonard Blair affirmed my recommendation for the Parish awardee of the Archdiocesan St Joseph Medal of Appreciation, the Hartford Church’s highest award recognizing members of the laity for their good works at the parish level—good works which promote the ongoing mission and ministry of Christ. This year our parish recognizes, congratulates and thanks Mr. and Mrs. Kevin and Mary O’Bryan as our recipients of the St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation.

This weekend we celebrate the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, and we hear from the Gospel of Matthew, 1 Kings and St. Paul in the Letter to the Romans. As imperfect disciples—which we all are—we must ask ourselves 3 questions based on the key messages of today’s readings: (1) Where do we search/look for God—where do we hear Him speak to us; (2) Do we believe that God makes Himself present to us today; and, (3) How how much Trust am I willing to put into growing my faith?

In these uncertain times amid the pandemic, there are lots of fears—both founded and unfounded—about the dangers, transmissibility, infection rates, and more—about returning to in-person school and parish faith formation programs. Understandably, parents are concerned as well as teachers, but the only remedy to this fear is truth—truth based in data-driven facts. Far too much of the “news” today is emotion-drive, for many reasons—politics being one—and that emotion-drive misinformation produces no good.