60 Second Reflections » 60 Reflections
No Spin
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In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 19, Elijah selects Elisha to be his understudy, his eventual successor. Read about the interesting exchange between the two. In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 5, Jesus talks about swearing oaths. In fact, He says we should not swear oaths at all. Why? Jesus said, “Let your […]
The Whisper of God
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Our first reading from 1 Kings 19 is so poignant for us in today’s world. We read the story of Elijah hearing the voice of God…though not in the way that one might think He would come. More on that in a moment. For the Gospel, back in the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus […]
On Anger
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The drought had been protracted. It was time for some rain. In the first reading today from 1 Kings 18, Elijah lets the king know that rain is on the way. Elijah even runs before the king’s chariot. For our Gospel reading, we’re back in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount […]
Giving Without Cost
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Today is the Feast of St. Barnabas. St. Barnabas was a companion of St. Paul, a well-travelled man and a great evangelist. In today’s first reading from Acts, we see the Holy Spirit say, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” And in Matthew’s Gospel, we […]
Giving Light to All
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Today’s first reading from 1 Kings 17 is the story of a great miracle. Elijah asks a widow to serve him. The woman has only enough for one final meal for herself and her son. When she serves the prophet before herself, see how God was faithful to her. Back in the Sermon on the […]
You are Blessed
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Elijah was given great authority by God. In today’s first reading, we see that there would be no rain in the land, except at his word. God then sends him out and provides for his needs. Our Gospel reading today is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. We know them […]
Come, Holy Spirit!
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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 Mass today, you’ll hear the Veni, Sancte Spiritus- sometimes called the Golden Sequence. I thought is appropriate to share today. Come, Holy Spirit, come! And […]
You Follow Me
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In Acts 28 today, we see Paul continuing in his ministry, even while in custody. Oh, that we could all have the evangelistic spirit of St. Paul! In the Gospel reading from John 21, Peter sees John coming toward him and Jesus and asks Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus’ reply is interesting. Jesus tells […]
Do You Love Me?
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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 declines, knowing that God is sending him to Rome. So Paul appeals his case to the Emperor. Our Gospel reading is from John 21, one […]
May We Be One
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In our first reading today from Acts, Paul puts himself squarely in the middle of a dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Paul, a Pharisee by birth and training, spoke of the resurrection of the dead. This was not something the Sadducees bought into. So a big old fight breaks out and Paul has […]
Saying 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. In it, he quotes Jesus with words that we do not hear in any of the four Gospels, “It is more blessed to give than […]
Life is of No Importance
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Interesting title for today’s reflection, eh? I can hear it now…”Gus, what’s happened to you?? Are you no longer pro-life?” But those words about the unimportance of life are not mine, they are St. Paul’s. That’s right, we see them in today’s first reading from Acts 20. More in a moment. For the Gospel today, […]
You Can Conquer the World!
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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 Spirit. So Paul lays hands on them and they received the gift of the Spirit. In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that they will […]
Belonging to Jesus
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Many Catholics today will celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. Since we did a reflection for the Ascension on Thursday, today we’ll reflect on the readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter. In today’s Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus prays for His disciples. “I do not pray for the world but for the ones […]
A Lesson From Elizabeth
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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 either from the Prophet Zephaniah or Romans 12. Do yourself a favor and read them both! The Gospel reading is the story of the Visitation […]
From Grief to Joy
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At the beginning of today’s first reading from Acts 18, the Lord speaks to Paul in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.” Sounds like sound advice for us, too! In the Gospel reading today from John 16, Jesus tells the disciples […]
The Importance of the Ascension
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension. In most dioceses around the country, today is not a Holy Day of obligation. For most, this feast will be celebrated this Sunday. If you are in a diocese or archdiocese where the Holy Day of obligation has been retained, you get to go to Mass today! […]
Finding God
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Today in our first reading from Acts 17, we see Paul giving one of his great speeches, this time to the Greeks in the Areopagus. More on his message in a moment. In the Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit, telling the Apostles, “But when he comes, the Spirit of […]
Our Conviction Notices
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Another jailbreak in our first reading today from Acts 16. Today God uses a mighty earthquake to break the chains of Paul and Silas. And the happenings after the jailbreak are amazing! Be sure to check it out. For our Gospel reading, we’re back in John 16, as Jesus speaks more about the Advocate, the […]
On Listening
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In Acts 16 today, Paul and Luke find themselves in the city of Thyatira, where they meet a woman named Lydia. More on that encounter in a moment. In the Gospel from John 15, Jesus talks about sending the Advocate, the Spirit of truth. He says, “I have told you this so that you may […]
Always Be Ready
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As Christians, we need to be like Boy Scouts. Be prepared. It’s the theme of Advent. Stay awake! Be ready! We see a very good reminder of that theme in our second reading today from 1 Peter 3. “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your […]
On Being 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.” So he goes! Perhaps we should pray for the intercession of St. Paul and say, “Come to America and help us!” In the Gospel reading […]
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 this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Laying down one’s life. Usually when we think of this, we think of some really heroic […]
That Your Joy May be Complete
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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 Mosaic laws in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas knew that this was not a matter that could be settled on a local level. […]
Of Vines and Branches
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In our first reading today from Acts 15, we see more controversy in the early Church about whether or not new believers needed to be circumcised. To settle the matter, Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem to bring the matter to the Apostles. Why? Because the heriarchy needed to decide the matter. In today’s Gospel […]
Hardships and Peace
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Today in our readings, we see one of the great paradoxes of our faith. In the first reading, we hear Paul and Barnabas telling the people, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Not a real popular message, I’m sure. In the Gospel reading from John 14, […]
Keeping Jesus’ Words
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In our Gospel reading today from John 14, Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word…whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” I want to think today about that notion of keeping Jesus’ words. Do you love Jesus? Of course you do! So do I. Yet I see this saying of […]
A Royal Priesthood
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We know that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. He came to us as priest, prophet and king. As Christians, we share in those ministries of Christ. In the second reading today from 1 Peter 2, St. Peter says you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of […]
Mighty Deeds
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In the first reading today from Acts 13, we see more of the adventures of Paul and Barnabas. After riling up some of the Jews, they (the Jews) stirred up a persecution against the two, and they were tossed out of that territory. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from their feet and moved on. […]
Receiving Jesus
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We read the writings of St. Paul often. Can you imagine what it must have been like to hear him speak? I conjure up images of Paul as a passionate orator, able to convince people that he was speaking the truth. In today’s first reading from Acts 13, we see one of Paul’s great speeches, […]
Apostolic Succession
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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 Jesus says, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” […]
Keep the Faith!
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In the Gospel reading today from John 10, Jesus says, “The Father and I are one.” Though we accept this idea as a tenet of faith, these words were surely scandalous to the Jews. This was another case of Jesus revealing more about the nature of the Trinity. In the first reading from Acts 11, […]
A Hindrance to God
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“I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Those are the words of Jesus that begin our Gospel reading today from John 10. Let us each day allow Jesus to shepherd us. In the first reading today from Acts 11, Peter is called on the carpet by Jewish […]
The Abundant Life
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In the Gospel reading today from John 10, Jesus talks about shepherds and sheep. He goes on to say, “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved.” The Gospel passage today ends with, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” What does this abundant life look […]
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 dead, and because of that, many came to believe. In the Gospel reading today, we finish up in John 6. After Jesus talked about […]
The Eucharistic Puzzle
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The readings today are a cornucopia of awesomeness! The first reading today is the story of the conversion of St. Paul. Saul has a close encounter with Jesus, and it rocks his world. Many of us have had radical conversion experiences. But God calls us to conversion daily, and most often uses much more subtle […]
When Bread is Flesh
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A very interesting story in our first reading today from Acts 8. The Holy Spirit sends Philip, one of the newly ordained deacons, to interpret the Scriptures for an Ethiopian eunuch. After this, the eunuch says, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Philip baptizes him, then disappears. This passage always […]
Hope in the 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 about the bold preaching and healing ministry of Philip. We’re back in John 6 for the Gospel reading today. Jesus says, “Everyone who sees the […]
Bread of Life
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In today’s first reading from Acts 7, we read about the martyrdom of St. Stephen. He met a brutal end. Can you imagine being stoned to death? How painful that must have been. And yet, he echoes the sentiment of Jesus as He hung on the cross, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” […]
What are You Working For?
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St. Stephen is considered the “proto-martyr” or first martyr. In today’s first reading from Acts 6, we see St. Stephen being put on trial, with many false witnesses coming to testify against him. In the Gospel, we continue with John 6. We hear Jesus say to the people, “Do not work for food that perishes […]
The Beauty of Scripture
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In the Gospel reading for today, the Third Sunday of Easter, we see the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. When the disciples didn’t understand what was going on, Jesus, “interpreted to them what referred to him in all the Scriptures.” This always reminds me of the importance of […]
Show Us the Father
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Today is the Feast of Saints Philip and James. Philip and James were two the the Apostles. The first reading today is from 1 Corinthians 15, where St. Paul mentions that Jesus appeared to James. The Gospel reading today is from John 14, where Philip says to Jesus, “Master, show us the Father, and that […]
Closed Doors, Open Windows
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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 teaching on the Eucharist. But at the beginning of John 6, we read today about a miraculous feeding of the multitudes. Coincidence? I think not. […]
Obedience
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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 from John 3 we read, “Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life.” Peter and the Apostles are dragged before the Sanhedrin, the high court […]
The Good News
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In today’s first reading from Acts 5, we see the first of numerous jail breaks in the Acts of the Apostles. Seems that the authorities wanted to keep the Apostles silent, to stop them from preaching Jesus. So they kept throwing them in the pokey. But God would have none of it. So He sent […]
Born of the Spirit
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We see in our first reading today from Acts 4 that the first community of believers was “of one heart and mind.” Jesus prayed for unity among His disciples. The Church still prays for unity today. May all of us who believe in Jesus be of one heart and mind. In the Gospel reading today […]
Are You Born Again?
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Another awesome first reading today from Acts 4. After Peter and John were released, the disciples all got together and prayed, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness.” The Scripture says “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak […]
God’s Mercy
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Today, the second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. So, rather than do a reflection on the daily Scriptures, I thought we could take just a moment to reflect on God’s mercy. If you do a search of the Scriptures, you will find hundreds of references to the mercy of God. Think about it…if […]
God’s Mercy
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Today, the second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. So, rather than do a reflection on the daily Scriptures, I thought we could take just a moment to reflect on God’s mercy. If you do a search of the Scriptures, you will find hundreds of references to the mercy of God. Think about it…if […]
The Gift to Proclaim
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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 speak of the name of Jesus. Peter responds with, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” Of […]