The Right to Life
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Today in the United States is the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. It falls on the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision...
I Was Wrong
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David and Saul had a tumultuous relationship. Saul hated David, and hunted him down to kill him. You would think that David would share this animosity. But not so. More...
The Jealous King
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It seems that wherever Jesus went, He drew a crowd, as we see in today’s Gospel reading from Mark 3. The more people He healed, the more demons He cast...
David and Goliath
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In the Gospel reading today from Mark 3, Jesus has another run-in with the Pharisees about the sabbath. Jesus asks them, “Is it lawful to do good ont he sabbath...
What God Sees
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In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 16, we read about the anointing of David. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus is...
The Price of Disobedience
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In the first reading today from 1 Samuel 15, we see a bit of the sneakiness of King Saul. Samuel has to call him out on it. More in a...
Do Whatever He Tells You
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Do you know what the first sign was that Jesus gave to the world? It was, as told in John’s Gospel, changing water into wine. It happens at a wedding...
Into the Unknown
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Today's Gospel reading from Mark 2 is about the call of Levi. Not sure who Levi is? We know him better as Matthew. He was a tax collector. Jesus sees...
The Danger of the Herd Mentality
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You would think that as God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel would enjoy being different, set apart. Uh…not so much. We see this in today’s first reading. More in...
Lessons in Defeat
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When we choose to follow God, life ain’t always a bed of roses. I’m sure you’ve experienced this. Challenges still come our way. People we love get sick and die....
Hearing vs. Listening
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Have you ever heard God speak to you? I believe God speaks to us in many different ways. I’ve talked to a number of people who tell me that God...
Prayer From the Depth of Your Soul
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We’re back in Ordinary Time. In our Gospel reading, we’re in Mark 1, where Jesus encounters a man with an unclean spirit. After Jesus casts the spirit out, the people...
Come After Me
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Welcome back to Ordinary Time! I hope that we will not take the name of this liturgical season literally. What I mean by that is that I hope that we...
The Baptism of the Lord
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Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. We see that moment where John the Baptist has just baptized Jesus when “the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily...
Mortal Sin and Venial Sin
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In Catholic theology, we talk of venial sin and mortal sin. Many will say, “Sin is sin! There is no such thing as mortal sin and venial sin.” Oh, really?...
Belief and Victory
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Today's Gospel reading from Luke 5 is the story a leper approaching Jesus and asking to be healed. He says, "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." He...
I'm a Liar
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There are an awful lot of challenging things in the Scriptures. Today's words from St. John in our first reading are right near the top. More on that in a sec....
Fearless Lovers
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Fear is a funny thing. Not funny ha-ha, but funny odd. It does funny things, has a funny effect on people. Fear can be a great motivator; some say the...
Do It Yourselves
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What is love? Here's what St. John says in today's first reading from 1 John 4: In this is love: not that we have loved God, but the he loved...
You Belong to God
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For many today is “back to reality day.” Lots of folks have been off since Christmas Eve. If that includes you, welcome back! Hopefully we can hit the ground running...
The Journey to Jesus
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Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 2 we see the story of the magi coming to visit the baby Jesus. We often...
Mary, Mother of God
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Happy New Year! Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. Because the feast falls on a Saturday this year, it not a Holy Day of...
The Message of Christmas
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For today’s first reading, we are back in 1 John 2. Today St. John writes about the antichrist. Very interesting stuff, especially for those hard core “end-timers.” Those are the...
When We Love "The World"
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In today’s first reading, we get some great advice from St. John. More on that in a moment. The Gospel reading today is from Luke 2. Today we read about...
The Canticle of Simeon
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Today is the fifth day in the Octave of Christmas. In our first reading from 1 John 2, St. John talks about light and darkness. He writes, “Whoever says he...
Today's Holy Innocents
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Who are the Holy Innocents? They are the children killed by order of Herod in Bethlehem right after the birth...
Sprinting to the Lord
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. John the Evangelist. St. John was the beloved disciple, the author of the fourth Gospel, three letters in the New Testament and the...
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Family, always the Sunday after Christmas. All of the readings today talk about family. In the Gospel reading from Luke 2, we read about...
Merry Christmas!
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Advent is finally over! Now begins the real celebration. Merry Christmas! I’ll pause today from the regular Scripture reflection and just share some random thoughts. A baby in a manger....
The Canticle of Zechariah
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It's Christmas Eve! Tomorrow and for the next couple of weeks we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Savior. Today's Gospel reading is the Canticle of Zechariah. If you ever...
What Will this Child Be?
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The prophets were God's messengers. And John the Baptist, "the new Elijah," was the greatest of the prophets. In today's first reading from Malachi 3, we read the prophecy of...
My Soul Proclaims the Greatness of the Lord
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In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 1, we see Hannah giving up her only son to the service of the Lord. Eli, the priest, had prayed that Hannah might...
The Lord in Your Midst
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In the first reading today from Zephaniah 3, we read, "The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. The LORD, your...
The Virgin Birth
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As the Christmas story continues to unfold in the liturgy, we reflect today on the virgin birth. The Gospel reading is the story of the Annunciation. There is quite a...
The Fruit of Her Womb
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As the Christmas story continues to unfold in the liturgy, today's Gospel reading is the story of the visitation, when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth's greeting to Mary is...
Dream, Dream, Dream
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Today in the first reading from Jeremiah 23, the Lord says, “Behold, the days are coming when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall...
Skeletons in the Closet
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Well, it is one week before Christmas Eve! Are you feeling it yet? Beginning today, the liturgy begins to unfold the story of Christmas. In the first reading today from...
Words to Hang Onto
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 7, Jesus reveals the truth about John the Baptist. “This is the one about whom Scripture says: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead...
Just Deeds and Power
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In today's first reading from Isaiah 45, the LORD says, "To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, Saying, "Only in the LORD are just deeds...
Saying and Doing
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In the first reading today from Zephaniah 3, we read about “a remnant…a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord…They shall do no...
Submitting to Jesus' Authority
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In today’s first reading from Numbers 24, we meet an interesting character named Balaam. Balaam utters a prophecy. “A star shall advance from Jacob, and staff shall rise from Israel.”...
The Humility of John
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Today is the Third Sunday in Advent, also known as Gaudete Sunday. You’ll notice the priest lighting the rose colored candle on the Advent wreath. Once again, our Gospel reading...
God of the Unexpected
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In the first reading today from Sirach 48, we see a synopsis of the life and times of Elijah. The people were awaiting his return. In the Gospel reading from...
The Way of Wisdom
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In the first reading today from Isaiah 48, God says, “I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should...
John is Elijah
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You may know that the most common admonition in Scripture is "Be not afraid" or some variation thereof. We see one in today's first reading from Isaiah 41. "It is...
Conceived Without Sin
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Remember that, for Catholics, today is a Holy Day of obligation. I hope you will make it a point to attend...
The People is the Grass
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In today’s first reading from Isaiah 40, Isaiah is told, “Cry out!” He answers to the voice, “What shall I cry out?” We’ll talk about it in a moment. In...
We Have Seen Incredible Things
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Today's "golden thread" is about healing. In the first reading from Isaiah 35 we read, "Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be...
A Voice in the Desert
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Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. In the Gospel reading from Luke 3, we read about the ministry of John the Baptist. He is the one about whom the...
More Than a Teacher
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As you read today’s first reading from Isaiah 30, I hope your mind is immediately drawn to Jesus. We see these prophesies so perfectly fulfilled in Jesus. More on that...