What Will This Child Be?
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Today the Church celebrates the birth of John the Baptist. In the first reading from Isaiah 49, we see prophesies that certainly pertain to the life of John the Baptist....
Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
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Abram had no children, no heir. He expressed this concern to God, and God made a covenant with him, which we see in today's first reading from Genesis 15. In...
Giving What is Holy to Dogs
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In our first reading today we find ourselves back in the Book of Genesis, reading about Abram and Lot. For our Gospel reading, we’re back in the Sermon on the...
A Painful Extraction
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In today’s first reading from Genesis 12, God tells seventy-five year old Abram to pick up everything he owned (which was a lot) and move to a strange new place....
Jesus, Don't You Care?
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In our Gospel reading from Mark 4, the disciples are in a boat with Jesus, who is sleeping. Suddenly, a big storm comes up and the boat is getting tossed...
Thorns and Grace
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In the first reading today from 2 Corinthians 12, St. Paul says that he has been given “a thorn in the flesh.” Now, he never says what exactly that is....
Your Eyes
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We live in a world where strength is the be-all and the end-all. One should never even acknowledge weakness. St. Paul disagrees. In today's first reading he writes, "If I...
Putting Up With a False Gospel
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I start today’s reflection with a warning. What you are about to read, you may find offensive. So be it. On a personal note, I do not write these reflections...
You Can't Outgive God
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If you read today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 6, you might think it is Ash Wednesday. It’s not, but this is the exact same reading we hear every Ash Wednesday....
On Loving Your Enemies
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Generosity should come easily. In today's first reading from 2 Corinthians 8, St. Paul points to the churches in Macedonia as examples of this. The Sermon on the Mount is...
Turning the Virtual Cheek
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There's often a big difference between perception and reality. I believe St. Paul speaks of this in today's first reading from 2 Corinthians 6. "We are treated as deceivers and...
How God Works
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In the Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus tells a couple of parables about the Kingdom of God. The first is about the mysterious way that God works. “It is...
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Yesterday was the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is appropriate that we celebrate the heart...
A Heart Like Jesus'
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Today is the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the first reading from Hosea 11, we get a glimpse into the heart of Jesus before He was...
An Angry Age
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Transformation is key to the Christian life. Here's how St. Paul puts it in our first reading today from 2 Corinthians 4: "All of us, gazing with unveiled face on...
God Qualifies the Called
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Some people think that the New Testament is far removed from the Old Testament, that Jesus came to do away with everything in the old law and replace it. Funny,...
Bringers of Light
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In today's Gospel reading, we continue with the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. We hear Jesus say, “You are the light of the world…your light must shine before others…”...
Sharing in the Encouragement
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Such a bounty of things to reflect on today! In the first reading, we begin a journey through 2 Corinthians. At the same time, our Gospel readings will be from...
The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of The Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi. All of the readings today point to the Eucharist, the source and summit of...
An Angel Revealed
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In today's first reading, we finish the story of Tobit. God sent the angel Raphael to heal Tobit and Sarah. Of course, the people didn't know Raphael was an angel,...
Was Blind But Now I See
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We see in the Scriptures numerous stories of sight being restored. Bartimaeus and Saul come to mind immediately. Today in our first reading, we see another blind man getting his...
A Marriage Made in Heaven
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In our Gospel reading today from Mark 12, Jesus is asked, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” His answer may have surprised His hearers. Do you know what...
Are the Dead Dead?
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In today’s first reading from Tobit 3, we’re introduced to one of the archangels, Raphael. God hears the prayers of Tobit and Sarah, and sends Raphael to carry out His...
Your True Character
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In the first reading today from Tobit 2, we see Tobit go through some real hardship in his life. He loses his sight for four years. How would this effect...
The Visitation
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Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We remember that time when Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. The first reading can be taken...
The Family of the Trinity
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; three Persons, one God. The readings today reflect that. The first reading from Deuteronomy 4 tells us that there is...
On Authority
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In the Gospel reading from Mark 11, Jesus is asked about His authority. “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authorityto do them?” Now...
Leaving a Legacy
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Have you ever thought about your legacy – what you will leave behind when your days on earth are over? More on that in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading,...
Jesus is Calling You!
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In the first reading today from Sirach 42, the sacred author does something that we should do always. He recalls the great things that God has done. In the Gospel...
How to be Elevated in the Kingdom
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 10, James and John come to Jesus and ask, "Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other...
The Best Deal Ever
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Everybody likes a good deal, right? We always like to think that when we're buying or investing, we're going to come out the better for it. And when you think...
Mary, Mother of the Church
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Today, the day after Pentecost, the Church celebrates the feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. This is a brand new memorial, instituted by Pope Francis in...
Pentecost
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Today is Pentecost Sunday. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the birthday of the Church. We see this event in the first reading from Acts 2. At...
What Concern is it of Yours?
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For today's Gospel reading, we read the conclusion of John's Gospel. Peter inquires to Jesus about John. Jesus answers, "What if I want him to remain until I come? What...
Jesus and Peter and You
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In the first reading today from Acts 25, Paul is in Caesarea awaiting trial. He is asked if he wants to go to Jerusalem to have his case heard. Paul...
God's Love in Us
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St. Paul found himself in the midst of an awful lot of difficult situations, ones that most of us could not even comprehend. In today’s first reading from Acts 22...
A Prayerful Goodbye
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In the first reading today from Acts 20, we hear the conclusion of Paul’s farewell address to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus. What a stirring and moving speech....
No Shrinking Violet
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In today's Gospel reading from John 17, we listen in on Jesus prayer to the Father at the Last Supper. In our first reading from Acts 20, we hear the...
Jesus Conquers
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In today’s first reading from Acts, Paul runs into a group of believers who have not yet received the Holy Spirit. In fact, they hadn’t even heard of a Holy...
Consecrated in Truth
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Since we talked about the readings for the Feast of the Ascension on Thursday, today we’ll concentrate on the Seventh Sunday of Easter. The Gospel reading today is from John...
Apollos the Apologist
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In our Gospel reading today from John 16, Jesus again speaks about asking the Father in the name of Jesus. He promises the disciples that “the hour is coming when...
The Bold Claim of the Catholic Church
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Matthias. The two readings are ones that we have already had during the Easter season. The Gospel is from John 15, where...
The Importance of The Ascension
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. In most dioceses in the US, today is not a Holy Day of obligation. For most, this feast...
Ignorance and Repentance
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In today's Gospel reading from John 16 tells His disciples, "Bet when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth." This is why we believe...
Earth-Shaking Grace
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Today's first reading from Acts 16 is the story of another jailbreak. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus tells His disciples that He will...
Fallen Away
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In today's first reading from Acts 16, we read the story of Lydia, a woman who opened her heart and her home to Jesus through the words of St. Paul....
Laying Down One's Life
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For the Gospel reading today, we’re back in John 15, where Jesus says, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than...
You are Hated
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More action and adventure today in the first reading from Acts 16. Paul has a vision in which a Macedonian says to him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”...
The Chosen
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In the Gospel reading today from John 15, we hear Jesus tell the disciples, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.” Have you seen the...
J.O.Y.
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In today’s first reading from Acts 15, we see that the early Church was hierarchical. There was a dispute about whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and follow the...