Twenty – Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Sr. Maria Delaney, SNDdeN Matthew 22: 15-21 “I thank my God for you and when I pray for you my prayers are always filled with joy.” This translation of a verse from the letter to the Thessalonians is a beautiful message to all the people we cherish. They are the people who embrace us as we are and do not regard status as a condition of acceptance and love. Jesus was forever at the mercy of people who challenged him to be or to do whatever they deemed appropriate for a man with power or when he didn’t do what they personally wanted. They did not regard people who were emotionally, physically or materially needy as worthy of their attention. The men and women who came in contact with Jesus’ teachings were constantly challenged to align their lives with the values he preached and lived. Like Jesus, they also suffered as they gave attention to the vulnerable and those who were living in fear or destitution. Catholic Social Teaching teaches us to disregard class, fortune or titles as markers of worthiness for our attention. Jesus respected the authority of those acting in […]