A Word of Hope by Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP
Moses talks to God face to face. How close do we want God to be to us?

Jesus's parables liken the Kingdom of Heaven to a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large bush and yeast, which grows to fill the dough. Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP points out that in both of these, the Kingdom grows from something small over time, so that we have to be patient and let the Kingdom grow around and within us.

In a pivotal moment of salvation history, God reveals the Divine Name to Moses, the great "I AM". But Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP points out that Moses was just looking for a way out.

God called Moses in the Burning Bush and challenged Moses to trust that he would accomplish all that God wanted. In the same way, Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP asks us to trust God first, knowing that we might not get an affirmation that we are on the right path until our work for God is completed.

For 16 July 2023, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, based on Matthew 13:1–23

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP unpacks the readings for the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, with its classic reading, "Come to me all who labor and are burdened, and I shall give you rest." Fr. Scott interprets this using the first reading from the prophet Zechariah, who speaks of a humble saviour, who does not come on a war horse, but on the foal of a donkey, and banishes all of the instruments of war. Embracing this saviour brings peace.

God credited Abram's faith as an act of righteousness. Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP asks us to think if we put our faith in God, and do we have faith in others? If so, tell them, and watch the blessings grow.

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP asks us to think if we are like Abraham, who did not quarrel over riches, but shared God's blessings so that all might have enough (or are God's blessings given to us like pearls before swine!).

For Trinity Sunday, Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP sits down with his mother, Arlene, to explain how parents are a good image of the Trinity—we don't have to understand them, we simply thrive living in the love that they provide.

Fr. Scott Steinkerchner, OP shares a reading from Sirach about the beauty and wisdom of God's creation, and relates this vision of the world to that of evolution, suggesting that the more beautiful picture is when these come together.