John J. Kilgallen

Knowing I could not master Wisdom but by the gift of God – and it is a gift of God to know to Whom I owe the gift – I turned to the Lord to entreat him Wisdom 8 20 Someday may all Americans be blessed to know to Whom to credit all our gifts John Kilgallen S J nbsp

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp In stark contrast to Jewish leaders crucifying soldiers and a crucified criminal we hear a dialogue between Jesus and another crucified criminal nbsp The group of three taunt Jesus whether challenging his prophetic claim of Palm Sunday to be Jerusalem s king or challen

Next Sunday is the Feast of Christ the King which brings us to the end of this liturgical year nbsp It is fitting then that the Gospel which precedes the nbsp Feast of Christ the King speak of future things nbsp Our Sunday Gospel cites only a portion of Jesus predictions about the future a

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp This Gospel story takes place after Jesus has entered Jerusalem Palm Sunday and before his Last Supper nbsp Here Sadducees present a problem to Jesus it is constructed so as to make belief in a resurrection from the dead foolish and impossible nbsp Sadducees believ

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp The physical circumstance nbsp The Temple in this story is the building which sits on a large platform the size of a soccer field nbsp The Temple rsquo s rearmost part is God rsquo s dwelling place and opens outward and eastward to still other sacred rooms nbsp

nbsp nbsp Before he recites the parable in 18 1-8 Luke indicates to the reader its central teaching to pray always continually not continuously and not to grow tired or discouraged or lose heart nbsp Then the parable shows that even the most hard-hearted will eventually yield to a reque

ldquo Go show yourselves to the priests rdquo is a request that the healed lepers go to the ones who in Jewish society authenticate cures from leprosy nbsp The priest at the Jerusalem Temple does not cure he declares for the knowledge of all citizens that a person is cured of leprosy nbsp

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp This Sunday Gospel reading consists of two distinct parts first there is a request answered by criticism and second Jesus offers a parable about a servant nbsp Though our reading is verses 5-10 I think it useful if not nbsp necessary to intepret them as comments on th

nbsp The parable about the rich man and Lazarus forms part of the lengthy discourse of Jesus which began at 16 1 Jesus is talking about the dangers of wealth or better the danger wealth becomes when it is in the wrong hands First the very first lines cannot be allowed to pass by quickly ever

The parable Luke 16 1-13 concerns a manager who is to be relieved of his job because of dishonesty nbsp Jesus does not identify what precisely is the dishonesty nbsp nbsp In this situation the manager saves himself by making friends with those who were in debt to his master he reduces their