Thomas Gumbleton

The Peace Pulpit: God is love. Where there is love there is God. I really hope and pray that all of us may have a beautiful, joyful Easter as we learn to love one another and come to know the risen Jesus in our own lives.

Jesus came humble, riding on a donkey, rejecting violence, rejecting war, rejecting hatred, and teaching something so extraordinary we can hardly believe it — don't just love those who love you; love your enemies. Do good to those who hurt you. Return good for evil.

The Peace Pulpit: Jesus doesn't conquer the world through power and force and coercion, but only through love. "When I am lifted up, pouring forth my life, my love for all people, I will draw all to myself."

The Peace Pulpit: God so loved the world that God gave Jesus, God's only Son, to be part of our human family, to be one of us, to be a light for us, to show us the way, to bring God's forgiveness, God's kindness, God's love, God's goodness to each one of us.

The Peace Pulpit: "Jesus is teaching us in the ultimate way about love. You don't just love those who love you; you love your enemies." 

The Peace Pulpit: "Give up violence, give up the idea that violence can overcome violence, that one gun can be better than another and bring peace. It won't."

The Peace Pulpit: I pray that all of us will begin to try ... to become more like Jesus, be converted, follow his example, and change situations of hatred and violence into situations of love and goodness.

The Peace Pulpit: "We all are aware of the need ... of people who are oppressed, people who need to have justice done for them, people who are hungry, people who are homeless, people who are refugees."

The Peace Pulpit: "Violence is a lie. It goes against everything we are as people made in the image and likeness of God who is love. So it's a lie when we perpetrate violence or hate.​"

The Peace Pulpit: Jesus says the reign of God is at hand, but how do we enter into it? How do we share with Jesus in bringing it about, living under the dynamic power of God's love?

The Peace Pulpit: I hope that today we try to understand once more that we are called to be disciples of Jesus, called to listen and to learn, and to bring his way of love and peace into our world and transform this world into the reign of God.

The Peace Pulpit: What we're learning in the Gospel today is that Matthew was trying to show the people of the community at Jerusalem, the Christian people, followers of Jesus that outsiders need to be welcomed. 

The Peace Pulpit: The message of Christmas is never outdated. We have to become those who hear the words spoken to us by Jesus coming into our midst poor, without weapons, without any worldly goods at all.

The Peace Pulpit: This week I hope all of us make a special effort to think about what it really means, and then commit ourselves to listen to Jesus, to follow him, and to make his way our way so that we bring peace and fullness of life to everyone.

The Peace Pulpit: God does speak to us, but we have to take the time to listen, to be ready as Mary said, "Let it be done to me according to God's will."

The Peace Pulpit: Christmas is about the gift that is beyond all gifts, the gift of the Son of God becoming part of our human family.

The Peace Pulpit: If we listen to the Gospel lesson, it's heard very clearly. Jesus tells us that he is present in the least of those in our midst: the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, those who lack housing, those in prison, those who are sick.

The Peace Pulpit: Be ready when you meet Jesus in the poor and the afflicted. Be ready to welcome Jesus among those who are threatened by our weapons, those who are threatened by our unjust financial budget. 

The Peace Pulpit: To be a Christian, to be a confirmed Christian means to be someone who is committed to following Jesus. We can't follow him unless we know him, know how he lived, how he acted, and what he taught.

The Peace Pulpit: Find the concrete ways (these are only suggestions) in which we pour forth out of gratitude for what God has given to me, for one another. It's a huge challenge, actually.