From Stoner to Stoned
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Are you familiar with concept of karma? It's most often summed up in the phrase "What goes around comes around." It means we get payback for things that we do...
Idols
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Paul and Barnabas run into a very interesting situation in today's first reading from Acts 14. After facilitating a healing for a man, the crowds began to worship them as...
What We Get and What We Give
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In the Gospel reading today from John 13, Judas has just left the upper room. Jesus says to the Eleven, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As...
Laying Down Your Life
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Matthias. Matthias was the man who took the office of Judas after his death. In our first reading from Acts 1, we...
Knowing the Way
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In the first reading today from Acts 13, we hear more of Paul's speech in the synagogue in Antioch. He continues to tell the Jews there about the plan of...
Speaking Positive Words
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Paul is in the synagogue in Antioch in today’s first reading. The synagogue officials ask if he has a word of exhortation for the people. In the Gospel from John...
Sent by the Spirit
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In our first reading today from Acts, we see Barnabas and Saul being “set apart” by the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim the Word of God. In the...
Christians
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In Acts 11 today, we see the story of a growing Church. People in great numbers are turning to the Lord. Barnabas brings Saul with him to Antioch, and they...
Life More Abundantly
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Another awesome day in the Scriptures! In the first reading from Acts 11, Peter has a vision. He is then visited by some men who were sent to him by...
Good Shepherd Sunday
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Today is often referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday. In today’s Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”...
The Words of Eternal Life
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In the first reading today from Acts 9, we see a blossoming Church. It is growing rapidly, even with the great persecution she was suffering. Peter raises a woman from...
The Verse Every Catholic Should Know
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Sometimes we can be so thick-headed that God needs to use a (metaphoric) 2x4 over the head to get our attention. Such was the case with Saul of Tarsus, aka...
Flesh for the Life of the World
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A very interesting story in our first reading today from Acts 8. The Holy Spirit sends Philip, one of the first deacons, to interpret the Scriptures for an Ethiopian eunuch....
Our Resurrection
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In the first reading from Acts 8 today, we read about Saul persecuting the Church. Because of the persecution happening in Jerusalem, all but the Apostles left there. We read...
Show Us the Father
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Today is the Feast of Saints Philip and James. Philip and James were two of the Apostles. The first reading today is from 1 Corinthians 15, where St. Paul mentions...
What Can I Do?
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Today's first reading from Acts 6 is the first part of the story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, considered to be the first martyr for the name of Jesus....
The Big Question
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Our Gospel reading is from John 21, one of the most moving stories in all of Scripture. Jesus had just finished having breakfast with the disciples on the beach, after...
The First Deacons
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In today’s first reading from Acts 6, we read about the ordination of our first deacons. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from John 6, Jesus...
Success and Failure
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In our Gospel reading today, we begin a journey through John 6. Later in the chapter we will be reading and reflecting on the Bread of Life discourse, Jesus’ principle...
Obeying God Rather than Men
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There is a theme today in the readings: obedience. We hear Peter and the Apostles talk about it in the first reading from Acts 5. And in the Gospel reading...
The Prison Problem
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In today's first reading from Acts 5, we see one of numerous stories of jailbreaks in the Book of Acts. The Gospel reading today begins with perhaps the most recognized...
Born of the Spirit
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Today's first reading from Acts 4 shows the generosity of the early Christians. People would sell everything and "put it at the feet of the Apostles." In the Gospel reading...
St. Mark the Evangelist
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Today is the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, the author of one of the Gospel accounts. The first reading is from 1 Peter 5, where St. Peter mentions “Mark,...
Confession and Mercy
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Today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Part of today's Gospel reading from John 20 can help us with this concept. After the resurrection, Jesus says to the Apostles, "Receive the Holy...
Following Jesus' Call
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Today in Acts 4, the Sanhedrin comes to the conclusion that something astonishing happened through Peter and John. But just to be safe, they tell them not to ever again...
A Fishing Lesson?
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In today's Gospel reading from John 21, Jesus gives the disciples a fishing lesson. Well, maybe not so much a fishing lesson as a lesson in obedience. Simon and Andrew,...
Witness
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The word “witness” is a noun and a verb. We are the first, we must do the other. Peter and the Apostles were perfect examples of this, as we see...
Burning Hearts
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Many of us wish we had more, so that we could be more generous. But generosity really has nothing to do with money. St. Peter speaks to this very well...
The Importance of a Name
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In today’s first reading from Acts 2, we hear more of what happened on the day of Pentecost. Peter tells the people, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you,...
Joy and Fear
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Happy Easter Monday! I hope your Easter was filled with blessings. For the next fifty days, our first reading will be from Acts of the Apostles. Today we hear part...
He is Risen!
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He is risen! Alleluia! (Boy, it seems like a long time since we’ver heard that word!) Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. This is the greatest...
Newly Minted Catholics
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Another long Lenten journey has come to a close. Tonight we celebrate the great Easter Vigil. Thousands of people will be welcomed into the Catholic Church around America. Wow! What an...
You Can't Get to the Resurrection...
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Good Friday. Today is the only day of the year when there is no Mass. Though there is no Mass, I’m sure that your parish will be having at least...
Priesthood and Eucharist
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Lent is over today. Now, that doesn’t mean that you stop with your Lenten penances and practices. Those should continue into Saturday evening. Tonight we begin the Sacred Triduum. It...
Turning on Jesus
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When we think of the brutality that Jesus suffered for us, we can see that this was all foretold in today’s first reading from Isaiah 50. “I gave my back...
A Rock and a Stumbling Block
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It's Tuesday of Holy Week. Today's first reading is the Second oracle of the Servant of the Lord from Isaiah 49. In the Gospel reading, we focus on Peter from...
Dungeons and Prisons
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Today is Monday of Holy Week. For the next few days, our first readings will be from Isaiah, the prophesies of the Servant of the Lord. We’ll talk about today’s...
Recalling Christ's Passion
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Today is one of the most well-attended Mass days of the year. Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday. Outside of Christmas and Easter, more people come to Palm Sunday Mass than...
Dying for All the People
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In today's first reading from Ezekiel 37, the LORD speaks of a time of reunification and healing. "There shall be one prince for them all. Never again shall they be...
Making Yourself God
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Jeremiah was suffering the fate of a prophet; the people had turned against him. But he knew that divine recompense would come from God. In today's Gospel reading from John...
Living Up to the Covenant
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There are only a very few instances of God changing someone’s name in the Scriptures. Today we see the first of these in Genesis 17. Abram gets a new name....
Set Free
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In today’s first reading from Daniel 3, we see the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego getting thrown into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith. Faith enough...
Room for the Serpent
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Today’s first reading from Numbers 21 tells us the story of God sending saraph serpents among the people of Israel, who had become terrible whiners. God then commands Moses to...
The Lord is My Shepherd
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Today's first reading from Daniel 13 is the story of a woman who was falsely accused of adultery and was about to be put to death. It reads like a...
Casting Stones
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In today’s Gospel passage from John 8, we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees bring the woman before Jesus, telling Him that the...
From the Wrong Side of the Tracks
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The people were plotting to kill Jeremiah. He was unaware of these plans. After the LORD reveals this to him, Jeremiah cries out for vengeance. “Let me witness the vengeance...
Psalm 34
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An eerie first reading today from Wisdom 2. It describes the things that Jesus went through to a tee. Be sure to read it and see if you don’t shake...
The Power of Intercessory Prayer
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Can you change God's mind? We'll see in a moment. In today's Gospel reading from John 5, Jesus talks about accepting praise from people, but not seeking "the praise that...
Seeking to Do God's Will
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“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” This is a question we see in our first reading today from Isaiah 49. It...
God's Perfect Timing
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Today's Gospel reading from John 5 can be seen as an example of God's perfect timing. A man was waiting at the pool of Bethesda to get in when the...