60 Second Reflections » 60 Reflections
Knowledge of the Mysteries of the Kingdom
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We continue in 1 Corinthians 15 for our first reading today, where St. Paul continues his treatment on the resurrection of the body. “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” The Gospel reading is Luke’s telling of the parable of sower. After telling the parable, but before explaining it, Jesus […]
A Greater Hope
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Women were a very important part of the Church from the very beginning. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 8, St. Luke lists some women who accompanied Jesus and the Twelve and “provided for them out of their resources.” In the first reading from 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul continues to talk about the resurrection […]
Forgiveness and Love
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Popeye used to say, “I yam what I yam.” I wonder if he got that from St. Paul. He could have. In our first reading today from 1 Corinthians 15, St. Paul says, “But by the grace of God I am what I am…” Who knew that Popeye quoted the Scriptures? In the Gospel reading […]
Love is…You?
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Today’s first reading is from 1 Corinthians 13. In fact, it is the whole chapter. It is known as “The Love Chapter.” More on that in a moment. In the Gospel today from Luke 7, Jesus gives a scenario that kind of says, “You just can’t please anybody.” Check it out for yourself. If you […]
Many Parts, One Body
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We get a real glimpse of the merciful heart of Jesus in today’s Gospel reading from Luke 7. Jesus comes upon a funeral procession of a young man who was the only child of a widow. Out of compassion and without being asked, Jesus raises the man from the dead. Imagine that! In the first […]
Help in Times of Sorrow
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. The first reading is for Monday of the twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time. In it, St. Paul recounts what Jesus said at the Last Supper. How can that be? St. Paul wasn’t at the Last Supper. Read it and see. The Church gives parishes […]
The Cross of Christ
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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 […]
Participation in the Body and Blood
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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 […]
In It to Win It
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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 easy it is for us to point out the sins in others without recognizing our own faults and failings. “You hypocrite! Remove the wooden […]
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 Corinthians 8, St. Paul says it like this: “Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up.” Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6 is one of […]
All is Not as it Seems
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In 1 Corinthians 7 today, St. Paul warns his readers that “time is running out.” This world is passing away. He warns them to use what time is left fruitfully. In the Gospel today from Luke 6, we begin the Sermon on the Plain. Luke 6 records the same sermon that, in Matthew’s Gospel is […]
Things of the Past
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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 […]
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. We really don’t even know where she was born. In fact, we have no certainty at all about the details of Mary’s life before the […]
What We Owe
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The second reading today from Romans 13 begins with this: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Seems there’s a lot of talk about debt these days. National debt and personal debt. Debt is generally not a good thing. It means that we […]
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. (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 […]
Old Wine and New Wine
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Judgment is always a fun thing to talk about, right? In the first reading today from 1 Corinthians 4, that’s just what St. Paul talks about. Read what he has to say about judgment. In the Gospel reading today from Luke 5, we hear Jesus talking about wine and wineskins. He says, “No one pours […]
Confronting Our Sinfulness
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In the first reading today from 1 Corinthians 3, we hear more about wisdom and foolishness. “If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise.” In the Gospel reading from Luke 5, we see a miraculous catch of fish. After fishing all night and […]
God Causes the Growth
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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. […]
Natural and Spiritual
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For the first reading today, we’re back in 1 Corinthians 2. St. Paul speaks much of the Spirit of God here. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Luke 4, we see the word “authority” twice. Jesus “spoke with authority” and “With authority and power he commands the unclean spirits.” Jesus was given […]
Our Labor
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Happy Labor Day! I hope you are taking a day of R&R today. I’d like to share some thoughts about our labor today. In these difficult economic times, many people are worried. Those who are unemployed are worried about whether they will find work again. The underemployed worry about making enough to make ends meet. […]
An Obstacle to God
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Jesus had just told Peter that He would give him the keys to the kingdom. Immediately after that, Jesus begins to talk about how He would be handed over, killed and rise on the third day. This kind of talk didn’t sit well with Peter. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 16, Peter says, “God […]
Shame
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You have been given great gifts and talents. You need to use them to build up the Kingdom of God. This is a lesson we get from today’s Gospel reading in Matthew 25, the parable of the talents. How are you investing your talents? In the first reading today from 1 Corinthians 1, we hear […]
Fools for Christ
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Today the Church celebrates the Passion of Saint John the Baptist. The Gospel reading from Mark 6 tells the story of how John was beheaded. It is a tragic tale, but one that we can learn from – the truth will cost us everything. Our first reading today is from 1 Corinthians 1 where St. […]
Great Sinner, Great Saint
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augustine. I want to go outside of our regular format today and talk about this great saint. By the way, we see much of our first reading played out in the life of St. Augustine. Read it and see if you agree. Augustine was a man of […]
No Free Ride
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In the first reading today from 2 Thessalonians 3, St. Paul talks about the importance of work. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 23, Jesus continues to pronounce woes on the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus pulled no punches with these characters. “On the outside you appear righteous, but inside […]
Weightier Things
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Many people reject the Catholic Church because of the teaching that divine revelation consists of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. They say that Jesus condemned tradition. St. Paul has something else to say, as we see in today’s first reading from 2 Thessalonians 2. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 23, we hear Jesus calling […]
Hypocrites
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For the first reading today we begin 2 Thessalonians. St. Paul compliments the people for their “endurance and faith in all your persecutions and the afflictions you endure.” Wouldn’t it be great if people could say that of us? In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 23, Jesus has some harsh words for the scribes […]
The Gates of Hell
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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 to understand the office of the papacy, and Peter’s role as leader of the Church. Jesus says, “You are Peter and upon this rock I […]
Humble Yourself
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In the first reading today, Ezekiel is led by an angel to the temple, where he sees the glory of God. He hears the voice of God say to him, “This is where my throne shall be…here I will dwell among the children of Israel forever.” In today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus say, “Call […]
Dem Bones, Dem Dry 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 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 […]
From Stone to Flesh
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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 my people, and I will be your God.” The Gospel reading from Matthew 22 is the parable of a king throwing a wedding feast. He […]
Now Hiring
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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 is not pleased, things don’t end well for those with whom He is not pleased. Pray for our bishops and priests, that they may be […]
The Possible
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It seems the prince of Tyre thought an awful lot of himself – fancied himself a god. This didn’t sit well with the one true God. See what message God has for this guy in today’s first reading from Ezekiel 28. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 19, we pick up the story of the […]
What Do I Still Lack?
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We have a very sad first reading today from Ezekiel 24. The LORD tells Ezekiel that he is going to take away the delight of your eyes, and that Ezekiel should not do the customary mourning, but be ready to press on. He would be a sign for the people. See what happens. The Gospel […]
Answering God’s Call
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Though I typically like to do an overview of the Scriptures, today I want to concentrate on one sentence in our second reading. This passage from Romans 11 has always had a great deal of meaning to me. St. Paul writes, “For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” I love that word […]
Return and Live!
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Jesus had a heart for children. Take a look at today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 19. He says, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” This is just one of the reasons why Catholics have always baptized their children. In today’s […]
Feast of the Assumption of Mary
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Don’t forget, it is a Holy Day of Obligation. This is one of those days that is greatly misunderstood by many. So let’s talk about it, and hopefully clear up some misconceptions that some people may have. First of all, Catholics […]
Feeling Forgiveness
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Today in Ezekiel, the prophet is told to do some things in full view of the people as an example. He acts as one going into exile, showing the people what was about to happen to them. In the Gospel from Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how often he has to forgive a brother who […]
Gathering in Jesus’ 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 spared death. In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 18, Jesus gives the Twelve the ability to bind and loose. Ancient rabbinic literature tells us […]
The Sweetness of God’s 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 not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” God is always looking after us when we go astray – […]
The Temple Tax
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Today’s first reading is from the opening chapter of the Book of Ezekiel. In it Ezekiel sees a vision of heaven. It is truly an awesome sight. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 17, the collectors of the temple tax ask Peter whether Jesus pays the tax. When Peter walks into the room where Jesus […]
Come
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What would you think if you were out in a boat and you saw someone walking toward you – on the water? You’d probably think you were seeing a ghost. The disciples of Jesus did. When Jesus tells them it is He, Peter tells Jesus to “command me to come to you on the water.” […]
Move Your Mountain
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In the first reading today, God tells the prophet Habakkuk to write down a vision. Then He encourages the people to wait for the vision to be fulfilled. “If it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of […]
Taking the Long View
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God is a God of peace, but also of judgment. In the first reading today from Nahum, the prophet rejoices in the promise that the LORD would restore Israel. He also takes pleasure in the destruction of Nineveh in Assyria. The Assyrians were a brutal and ruthless people, and their destruction was seen as God’s […]
Written on Our Hearts
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In salvation history, God’s people broke the covenant relationship with God again and again. We’ll talk about why in a moment. In the Gospel reading today, we see the scene at Caesarea Philippi where Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom. A profound moment, indeed. In the first reading from Jeremiah 31, God acknowledges […]
Good That We are Here
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. In the first reading from Daniel 7, Daniel sees a vision of Jesus in His glory. Of course, he didn’t know it was Jesus, but “one like a Son of Man.” In the second reading from 2 Peter 1, St. Peter recounts the Transfiguration […]
It’s What Comes Out
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Today in Jeremiah 30, we see the old “bad news good news” scenario. God tells Jeremiah to write down a summation of the past, present and future. The bad news is what has recently happened to His people. The good news is that God has not forgotten His ancient covenant. “You shall be my people, […]
Eyes on the Prize
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In the first reading today from Jeremiah 28, we see a new prophet on the scene, Hananiah. Or do we? Hananiah makes a prophesy, but it turns out that he was speaking on his own, not from the Lord. God doesn’t look too kindly on this sort of thing. See what happens to him yourself. […]
Christ’s Great Love
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In today’s second reading and the Gospel reading, we read about the great love of Christ. St. Paul asks, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?” He then goes on to give a big list of things, none of which “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ […]
Spilling Innocent Blood
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More prophet talk for us today. In the first reading, the priests and prophets want Jeremiah put to death. But Jeremiah tells them, “If you put me to death, it is innocent blood you bring on yourselves.” In the Gospel, we read about more innocent blood, that of John the Baptist. Matthew recounts the story […]