Changing Your Mind
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus tells a story about a man who had two sons. He asked both to go work in the vineyard. The first said,...
Youth is Fleeting
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 9, the disciples do not understand something that Jesus says. Even though they didn’t get it, they were afraid to ask Him about...
This, Too, Shall Pass
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Today’s first reading is from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens.” If you’re a baby boomer like me,...
Vanity of Vanities
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In the first reading today, we begin the book of Ecclesiastes. The book is something of a study in the futility of life here on earth. More in a moment....
Two Things I Ask
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If you could ask God for just two things, what would they be? Solomon does just that today in our first reading from Proverbs 30. And in the Gospel from...
Proverbs
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Today's first reading is from Proverbs 21. The Gospel reading is from Luke 8, where Jesus describes who His mother and brothers are. "My mother and my brothers are those...
He Got the Right Guy
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew. Matthew penned the first Gospel. His Jewish name was Levi. (We find this in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.) He is...
His Ways are not Our Ways
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If you're not a fan of the liturgy, you should be. Here's what I mean (in just a small part). The Sunday readings are always connected, especially the first reading...
Sowing the Word
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Today's Gospel is from Luke 8, the parable of the sower. A sower goes out to sow some seed and it falls in many different places. Some falls on the...
Women Following Jesus
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1 Corinthians 15 is St. Paul’s treatise on the resurrection of the body. We read some of this today in our first reading. “If there is no resurrection of the...
The End of an Era
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Good Morning, Child of God! No matter what time of day you’re reading this, I stand by that statement that started every one of my Seize the Day morning shows...
The Grace of God
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Today's Gospel reading is the story of a sinful woman who comes to do homage to Jesus in the home of a Pharisee. Jesus says, "So I tell you, her...
What Love Is, And Isn't
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Our first reading today is 1 Corinthians 13. This is often referred to as “The Love Chapter.” If you’ve ever been to a wedding, chances are you have heard this...
She Knows
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. How appropriate that this feast day follows the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Church gives parishes an option...
Your Cross(es)
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Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the first reading today from Numbers 21, we see a bit of typology. God told Moses to make...
Forgive and Forget?
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how many times he has to forgive a brother who sins against him. “As many as seven times?” Hopefully you...
Good and Rotten
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Today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 10 starts with this exhortation, "Avoid idolatry." While it may be easy for us to dismiss this concerning ourselves, it always behooves us to...
Run So As To Win
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For many, sports is their religion. Interestingly, St. Paul used sports analogies when talking about religion. More in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus talks about...
How You (are) Measure(d)
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Is it better to be smart, or to love? I think we all know the answer to that, right? In the opening verse of our first reading today from 1...
Blessings in our Woes
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Life is fleeting. In today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 7, St. Paul gives some advice to his readers about how to conduct their lives. He then writes, “For the...
Happy Birthday, Mom!
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…Mary’s birthday! Now, we don’t really know the exact day, date or year that Mary was born....
Immoral and Proud
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the sabbath. It doesn't sit well with the scribes and Pharisees. In the first...
A Community of Prayer
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In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 18, Jesus gives the Twelve the ability to bind and loose. Ancient rabbinic literature tells us that this notion of binding and loosing...
Be Scum
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus is called on the carpet by some Pharisees for picking grain on the sabbath. It was unlawful to “work” on the sabbath....
"The Old is Good"
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, Jesus talks about the old and the new. He talks about cloaks and wine. Jesus said, "New wine must be poured into fresh...
Overcoming Unworthiness
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In the first reading from 1 Corinthians 3, St. Paul speaks again of foolishness and wisdom. “If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a...
Understanding Spiritual Realities
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In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 2, St. Paul juxtaposes "the natural man" with "the one who is spiritual." This reading is a reminder that there is much more...
A Demonstration of Faith
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After having gone through much of the Gospel of Matthew in Ordinary Time, today we transition to the Gospel of Luke and read about the beginning of Jesus' public ministry....
Self Denial
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Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16 is a continuation of the story from last Sunday. After Jesus praises Peter and gives him the keys to the Kingdom, He then scolds...
Head on a Platter
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Today is the Feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel reading from Mark 6 recounts the story. John was thrown into prison by Herod because he...
The Wise and Foolish Virgins
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Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 25 can be a tricky one. Jesus tells His disciples a parable, the message of which He sums up at the end. “Therefore, stay awake,...
The Danger of Complacency
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In the first reading today, we begin St. Paul’s first Letter to the Corinthians. St. Paul reassures his readers that “(God) will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on...
Whitewashed Tombs
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As Christians, we are told to feed the hungry. But what if those hungry are able bodied people who are just too lazy to work? St. Paul has the answer...
St. Paul on Tradition
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In today's first reading from 2 Thessalonians 2, St. Paul says, "Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by...
Can Anything Good Come From ______?
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Today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew. The Gospel reading today is from John 1, where Philip invites Nathanael to meet Jesus. In the synoptic Gospels, when the Twelve are...
Christ's Church will Prevail
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 16, we see the famous exchange between Peter and Jesus. It is one that Catholics especially should be familiar with, since it helps us...
Exalted and Humbled
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Today is the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The fifth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary is the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth....
Reanimated Bones
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The toe bone connected to the foot bone. The foot bone connected to the ankle bone. Ever heard of dem dry bones? (It’s an old spiritual tune.) That song was...
A Replacement Heart
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In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 36, God tells the people that He is going to take some corrective measures. We also hear the renewal of the covenant…”You shall be...
On Justice
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Today’s first reading is one that should be required daily reading for priests and bishops. Through Ezekiel, God talks about some not-so-good shepherds. He is not pleased; and when He...
Riches and Salvation
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In the first reading today, we hear about the dangers of accumulating wealth. Now, being wealthy is not of itself a bad thing. It is what can happen spiritually that becomes...
The Danger of Attachment
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In the first reading from Ezekiel 24, God takes Ezekiel’s wife from him; she dies. But even before this happens, God tells Ezekiel not to weep and mourn when God...
Not-So-Instant Gratification
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 15, we see a model of persistence. A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal her daughter. Jesus ignores her. After...
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Today is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Because it falls on a Saturday, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation in the USA. There...
Captivated
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Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 19 is Jesus' teaching on marriage. It was difficult to hear then, and is still difficult for so many to hear today. In our first...
You Are a Sign
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Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 18 is the story of Peter asking Jesus how many times he must forgive. Do you know how many? In the first reading from Ezekiel...
Gathered in His Name
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In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 9 an d 10, we see a scene reminiscent of the Passover. God has the faithful marked with a sign. Only they will be...
Feast on the Word
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 18, Jesus asks a question about a man who has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray. Jesus says, “Will he...
A Life of Service
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Lawrence. St. Lawrence was a deacon and a martyr. Our prayers go out today and every day to all the faithful deacons of...
On Courage
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Today's Gospel reading is one that we've heard recently from Matthew 14. It's the story of Jesus walking on the water and inviting Peter to do the same. As the...