No homily for the 20th Sunday; it was our Mission Co-op weekend.

The Church is not a completed institution but rather a work in progress. We still must strive for the unity Jesus intends for his people, especially since we are in the midst of the challenges of disunity and misunderstanding.

Something on a computer telling you to turn off the computer? That's exactly what this is. We must move out of a world of distraction and "noise" (and information can be "noise" even if it's silent) and into a sea which the Lord has calmed.

"Nothing can separate us from the love of God." We have this pledge in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. The Son of God becomes our very food and drink.

The homilist was away on July 17. Solomon's prayer for wisdom in governing could not have come at a more apt time, given the pathetic posturing going on in Washington. We pray that lawmakers will recognize the common good of our country and the world as the treasure buried in the field, the pearl of great price.

God provides that human freedom is always in play, so that we may accept or reject his invitation to enter into his life. It is easy for us to resist the invitations coming from our God. Let's consider how we can grow and flourish through an acceptance of the invitations.

What does it mean to be "in the flesh"? How can I not be "in the flesh"? We find some answers as we consider how our God wishes to establish peace within us.

The idea of eating and drinking someone's flesh and blood is utterly offensive. But the anxieties of those who feel they must sacrifice something to God are likewise quite raw. In the Eucharist we encounter a God who pays attention to our bewilderment.

"God so loved the world ..." We understand that God, within himself, is relationship, is dynamism. It is in keeping with who God is that he immerses himself in human existence.

Catholics, obviously, are quite focused on the mystery of "the Church." On the "birthday of the Church," the homilist rambles on for 15 minutes! Presumably we are captivated by our own experience of this mystery!

After the Springfield Young Adult Mass on the evening of June 5, a congregant confirmed for me (on the basis of her Holy Land pilgrimage earlier this year) that there are tour guides who point out a "pushing-off" place on the Mount of Olives.