The middle of Ordinary Time can feel like a non-season, liturgically speaking. On Sundays we trek along to Jerusalem with Jesus and the disciples, as Luke dictates.

"If only you would heed the voice of the Lord . . . .” It sounds so simple and  it is—in theory. What keeps me from listening intently and carrying out the word of God?

Mercy is in danger of becoming an antique word. We live in a tough world where cynicism is the protective wrapping around many hearts. Hostility toward the enemy and suspicion of the stranger are the norm.

In the era before cell phones, a young professional woman was driving home late one night when she spotted a group of teenage boys all huddled together in a vacant lot just off a fairly deserted street.

Late for an important meeting, I was running for a bus when I tripped and skidded headlong on the sidewalk.

Coming together as God’s family, with confidence let us ask the Father’s forgiveness, for he is full of gentleness and compassion.

How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time. 

Browse our library for additional Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle C material.