60 Second Reflections » 60 Reflections
Open to the Holy Spirit
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In the first reading today from Galatians 3, St. Paul talks about faith vs. works of the law. He asks a question about “the one who supplies the Spirit to you.” More about the Spirit comes in the Gospel. In the Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus tells a story about persistence. He then goes […]
The Hypocrite Pope
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 11, Jesus’ disciples come to Him and say, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” Jesus then teaches them the Lord’s Prayer, aka the Our Father. Of course, we know this prayer so well that we often recite it from memory without even thinking […]
Francis of Assisi
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis may be the best known and most beloved saint of all time. The order he founded, the Franciscans, is far and away the largest religious order in the world. I had the privilege of visiting Assisi earlier this year and, because I was leading […]
The True Gospel
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Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 10 is the story of the good Samaritan. For the first reading, we’re in the first chapter of St. Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. St. Paul starts off by expressing amazement (disappointment?) for what he saw going on. “I am amazed that you are so quickly forsaking the one who […]
Increase Our Faith
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 17, the Apostles say to Jesus, “Increase our faith.” Interesting, isn’t it? I mean, here is a group of guys who have given up everything, family businesses, jobs, everything, to follow Jesus. And yet they still feel that they need an increase in faith. Jesus tells them, “If […]
Reason to Rejoice
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In our first reading today we wrap up the story of Job. After all the things that had happened to him, Job kept faith. And God rewarded him for that. Read about how Job’s life turned out in the end. In our Gospel reading from Luke 10, the seventy-two disciples that Jesus sent out return […]
Let God be God
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In the first reading today from Job, God really lets Job have it with a series of questions. “Have you ever in your lifetime commanded the morning and shown the dawn its place?” “Tell me, if you know all: Which is the way to the dwelling place of light, and where is the abode of […]
Ready for Battle!
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – the Archangels. Each of them is mentioned in Scripture. We have two options for the first reading. The first, from Daniel 7, contains a vision of heaven. Here we see “myriads upon myriads” attending to the Ancient One. In our other option from […]
Living in the Past
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More from Job in our first reading today, as Job answers his friends who just confronted him about the unreasonableness of his faith. Job speaks of God’s “bigness.” In the Gospel reading from Luke 9, Jesus encounters three people who wish to follow Him. Jesus’ answers may be surprising. To the last man, Jesus says, […]
Rebuke
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If Job were around today, he certainly would have been diagnosed with serious depression. In today’s first reading, he rues the very day that he was born. He knows that anything would be better than all the stuff he was suffering through. Yet through it all, he never curses God for his plight. In the […]
To Be Like Job
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 9:46-50, the disciples are arguing amongst themselves about which of them is the greatest. Actually, this seems like pretty typical guy stuff. But Jesus takes a child to help straighten the men out. Jesus then gets a report about someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Trouble was, the […]
Riches Now or Forever
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus tells the Pharisees a story about a beggar named Lazarus and a rich man. Both of them die and wind up in opposite places. Some theologians say the rich man was in hell. Hell is the word used in many translations, Hades in others and netherworld in […]
Enjoy Your Youth
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Jesus said many things that His disciples did not understand. We see this in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 9. Jesus tells them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” They didn’t understand, and were afraid to question Him further about this. In the first reading today from Ecclesiastes 11 and […]
God’s Perfect Timing
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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, you can’t read that Scripture without hearing “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds in your head. Not a bad ear worm to have! As a […]
Our Higher Calling
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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. In the Gospel from Luke 9, we see Herod wondering about this Jesus character. He had heard much about him and was obviously very curious. […]
Jesus and the Shmo
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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 believed to have been martyred in Ethiopia or Persia. St. Matthew is the patron saint of accountants, tax collectors, bankers and bookkeepers. In today’s Gospel […]
Hearing and Acting
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We get more wisdom of the ages today from Proverbs 21, like this: “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.” In our Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus is told that “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to […]
Dirty Little Secrets
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The Book of Proverbs is filled with so much timeless wisdom. Our first reading today from Proverbs 3 is no exception. “Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways.” Be sure to read it and soak up the wisdom of the ages! In the Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus says, “For […]
Trustworthiness
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus tells a story about a dishonest steward. He then talks about being trustworthy in matters great and small. Jesus said, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest […]
The Resurrection of the Dead
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1 Corinthians 15 is St. Paul’s treatise on the resurrection of the dead. More in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. His disciples didn’t understand, so He spelled it out for them. Read it. As Christians, we believe in the resurrection of the body – […]
Jesus and Women
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When you die, do you believe that you will only become worm food? Or is there something more? As Christians, we profess the resurrection of the body. You see, our faith in Jesus is not just about living a good life here on earth. It has to do with eternity. Read today’s first reading from […]
Your Sorrows are Her Sorrows
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The first reading is for Thursday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time. In it, St. Paul refers to himself as “the least of the Apostles, not fit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.” The Church gives parishes an option […]
Your Cross is His Cross
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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 a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. Whenever someone looked at it, they would be healed of their bite from a serpent. This […]
A Heart for Widows
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An old song says, “Christ has no body now but yours.” In today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul talks about the Body of Christ; not in the Eucharist, but in the people of God. We all have a part to play in the body. Are you doing yours? We see a heartwarming […]
Healing and Faith
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In today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 11, St. Paul recounts Jesus’ words at the Last Supper. But wait…Paul wasn’t at the Last Supper. So how does he know? He says, “For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you…” Jesus Himself revealed this to St. Paul. In the Gospel reading […]
Hitting Bottom
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The Gospel reading today from Luke 15 is probably a very familiar story – the prodigal son. (Note: since this is part of the longer version of the Gospel today, you may not hear this story, as the short version omits it.) A man has two sons and the younger son insists that he receive […]
St. Paul and the Real Presence
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus says, “Every tree is known by its fruit.” He then talks about building our house on a firm foundation. When Christ is not our foundation, our “house” is destined to fall. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians 10, St. Paul speaks about the Real Presence of […]
St. Paul and the Real Presence
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6, Jesus says, “Every tree is known by its fruit.” He then talks about building our house on a firm foundation. When Christ is not our foundation, our “house” is destined to fall. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians 10, St. Paul speaks about the Real Presence of […]
Teachers and Disciples and Training
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There are lots of similarities between athletics and the spiritual life. St. Paul talks about them in today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 9. We have to train in each discipline. He advises us, “Run so as to win.” In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6. Jesus says, “Can a blind person guide a blind […]
Mom’s Birthday
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…Mary’s birthday! We celebrate this nine months after the Immaculate Conception. Now, we don’t really know the exact day, date or year that Mary was born. We really don’t even know where she was born. In fact, we have no certainty at […]
Blessings and 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 world in its present form is passing away.” In the Gospel reading from Luke 6, we begin hearing the Sermon on the Plain. It is […]
What You Used to Be
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 6, we see that Jesus spent the night in prayer. The next day, He called His disciples and told them that He had chosen Twelve, whom He also named Apostles. In the first reading from 1 Corinthians 6, St. Paul talks about judgement, and Christians treating one another […]
God and Work
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Happy Labor Day! I hope you are taking a day of R&R today. There are plenty of options for readings today. The link that I will provide is actually for Monday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time. But if you attend Mass today, you may hear different readings for Labor Day. In these difficult […]
Loving and Hating
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus tells a large crowd, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” What’s that, Jesus? We have to hate our family to follow You? That kind of seems […]
Scum of the Earth
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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. (Of course, in our day and age this seems ridiculous. But they took very seriously the commandment to keep holy the sabbath.) Jesus reminds them […]
On Judgment
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An important lesson about judgment today from St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 4. St. Paul doesn’t care a whit if people judge him. He is only concerned about how God will judge him. In the Gospel from Luke 5, Jesus talks about old wine and new wine, old wineskins and new wineskins. He says, “No […]
My Weakness, His Strength
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In the first reading today from 1 Corinthians 3, we hear more about foolishness and wisdom. St. Paul advises us to become a fool. Unfortunately, I have that covered, though probably not in the way that St. Paul means it. In the Gospel reading from Luke 5, we see a miraculous catch of fish. After […]
God’s Co-Workers
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Jesus was a very busy guy. We see this in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 4. He heals Simon’s mother-in-law, He heals all the sick in the town and casts out many demons. When He tries to get a moment alone, the people track Him down and try to prevent Him from leaving their town. […]
The Mind of Christ
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For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ. These are the last words of today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 2. In this reading, St. Paul talks about understanding the things of the Lord. He juxtaposes “the natural man” with “the one […]
The Price of Truth
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Today the Church celebrates the Passion of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel reading is from Mark 6, the account of why and how John the Baptist was beheaded. It is a sad and grisly story, but one that we can learn much from. I encourage you to read it. Herod is something of a […]
Payback
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 14, Jesus is dining at the home of a leading Pharisee and notices how everyone is posturing for a position of honor. So He tells them a parable. He advises them not to go after places of honor lest they be embarrassed. He tells them to “go and take […]
Using Our Talents for the Kingdom
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augustine. In the first reading today from 1 Corinthians 1, St. Paul says that “God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong…” Being weak and foolish myself, I’m kinda liking this reading! […]
A Happy Fool
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about ten virgins. Five of them are foolish and five of them are wise. They were all waiting to attend a wedding. The bridegroom was long delayed. When he finally arrived, five of them were ready, five were not. Read it and see […]
Called to Fellowship
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Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 24 is very Advent-ish. It begins with Jesus saying, “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” For our first reading, we begin St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. The reading today ends with this: “He [God] will keep you firm to the […]
Saint Bartholomew
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bartholomew. Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve. He was brought to Jesus by the Apostle Philip. Tradition tells us that he preached the Gospel in India, where he was rewarded with the crown of martyrdom. The first reading today is from Revelation 21, where we get a […]
Predicting the End
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Jesus continues pronouncing woes on the scribes and Pharisees in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 23. For the first reading, we’re back in 2 Thessalonians, where St. Paul issues a warning. “We ask you with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of […]
My Prayer for You
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Jesus was never afraid to confront evil and hypocrisy. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 23, He lights into the scribes and Pharisees, calling them “hypocrites, blind guides” and “blind fools.” Sometimes the truth hurts. The first reading today is from 2 Thessalonians 1. In it, St. Paul tells the Church what he prays for […]
The Narrow Gate
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13, someone asks Jesus, “Will only a few be saved?” Jesus responds, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” “Enter through the narrow gate.” Enter where? I think it’s obvious that Jesus is talking […]
Our Priests as Fathers
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 23, we find a verse that many use to try to discredit the Catholic faith. Jesus said, “Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.” Some people will point to this verse and say, “See, you Catholics call your priests ‘Father!’ Jesus said […]
The Spirit that Animates
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The toe bone connected to the foot bone. The foot bone connected to the ankle bone. Ever heard of dem bry bones? (It’s an old spiritual tune.) That song was written about today’s first reading! More in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus is asked which commandment in the law is the greatest. Be […]