60 Second Reflections » 60 Reflections
Your Golden Calf
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Moses sure had to put up with a lot from the Israelites. In today’s first reading from Exodus 32, we see what easily could have been the last straw. But it wasn’t. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 13, we see two very short parables: the parable of […]
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner
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In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the final parables in Matthew 13. The first two have to do with getting rich. Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he […]
Martha, Martha
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martha. As per usual, there are options for the readings. The options for a Gospel reading are from John 11 or Luke 10. In these two readings, we see two different sides of Martha. In John, Martha is filled with faith, and even echoes the words of St. […]
The Ten Suggestions?
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Most everyone knows that the Ten Commandments are found in the Bible. But did you know that they are found in the Bible twice? The first instance is in Exodus 20. That is today’s first reading. (If you’re keeping score, the second instance is in Deuteronomy 5. Take that to the water cooler!) In the […]
Thursday, July 27, 2017
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The homily at mass is not THE most important part of mass, but it is important nonetheless. Gus talks about when priests and deacons incorporate personal stories into their homilies. It’s not always well-received. Gus asks listeners their thoughts on when the homilist incorporates personal stories into his homily. Also, it’s National Natural Family Planning Awareness Week […]
Getting It
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What would it be like to see God? Not to see the image of God in the poor or the majesty of God in a mountain, but to actually SEE God. I’m guessing it would be a pretty frightening thing. It sure was for the children of Israel. In today’s first reading from Exodus 19, […]
Happy Grandparents’ Day!
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Happy Grandparents’ Day! Now I know that Hallmark doesn’t declare this today, but today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne. Tradition tells us that these were the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary; they were Jesus’ grandparents! (For the record, Joachim and Anne are not mentioned in the Scriptures.) As a […]
The Example of St. James
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James. This James is the son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John the Apostle. He is often known as James “The Greater,” only because he is mentioned first (before the other James) in the listing of the Apostles. Our first reading is from 2 Corinthians 4. […]
God Wins
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Ever ask God for a sign? Jesus has something to say about that in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 12. We’re back in Exodus, following the story of Moses for our first reading. After the Passover, Pharaoh agreed to let the children of Israel go. Shortly after they left, though, he changed his mind and […]
The Weeds and the Wheat
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Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 13 is the parable of the weeds and the wheat. A bad guy comes and sows weed seeds into a man’s wheat field. When the servants find out, they ask the master if they should pull the weeds. The master says that they will be separated at harvest time. Jesus […]
Saint Mary Magdalene
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Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. There are different options for the first reading, so I’ll let you read them and mull them over yourself. You can choose from Song of Songs 3:1-4 or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17. The Gospel is from John 20. It is the story of Mary’s meeting with Jesus after […]
Passover and Holy Mass
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Each year on Holy Thursday, the first reading for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is taken from Exodus 11-12. That same reading is today’s first reading. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 12, the Pharisees call Jesus out because His disciples were “working” on the sabbath. Today’s first reading contains God’s instructions for the […]
I AM
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In the first reading today from Exodus 3, we read more of the interaction between God and Moses when God reveals Himself in the burning bush. Our Gospel reading is a familiar one from Matthew 11. Take it to heart and you will find rest in Jesus. When God told Moses to go and speak […]
Holy Ground
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In today’s first reading from Exodus 3, Moses has an encounter with God. Moses spies a bush that is on fire, yet is not being consumed by the flames. Curious at the sight, he goes in for a closer look. And God calls out to him. “Moses! Moses!” He answered, “Here I am.” God said, […]
Lessons Not Learned
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In the first reading today from Exodus 2, we see the beginning of the story of Moses. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 11, Jesus pronounces woes on some towns – Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum – because He performed mighty deeds there, but they did not repent. Jesus has some pretty harsh words for these […]
Jesus the Divider
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One of the titles of Jesus is Prince of Peace. Yet in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus says just the opposite. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” He then goes on to tell how He will […]
Of Seeds and Sowers
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower of the seeds. After telling his parable, the disciples didn’t understand. Jesus seems a bit perturbed. But He explains the parable to them. He explains that the seed is the “word of the kingdom.” Then He goes on to explain […]
Acknowledging Jesus
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In today’s first reading, we see the end of the story of Joseph in Genesis 49 and 50. After Jacob had died, Joseph’s brothers were still afraid that Joseph might exact revenge on them for what they had done to him. But Joseph had no such plans. And he reassures them that he forgives them, […]
Of Hate and Endurance
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What a beautiful reunion we read about today in our first reading from Genesis 46. Jacob/Israel thought that his youngest son, Joseph, had been eaten by wild beasts. But then his other boys come back from Egypt and spill the beans about the truth of what happened. Israel was now very old, and all he […]
God’s Bigger Plan
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the Twelve and gives them their “marching orders.” He says to them, “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.” The same holds true for us. God has given us everything freely. We should be willing to share the gifts that […]
Go To the Lost Sheep
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Joseph was the beloved son of Israel. His brothers were extremely jealous and sold him into slavery. Joseph rose in Egypt to become Pharaoh’s right hand man. In our first reading from Genesis 41 and 42, you don’t see that story, but you need to know it to get the context of the reading. (It […]
Big Time Wrestling
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Another fascinating story today in our first reading from Genesis 32. Today we read about Jacob wrestling with a divine being. After something of a stalemate, Jacob gets his name changed. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells the disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the […]
How to Bring Healing
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Everyone knows the classic song “Stairway to Heaven,” right? Did you know the title of the song is based on a passage from Scripture? We find it in today’s first reading from Genesis 28. Jacob has a dream about a stairway that goes up to heaven. Check it out. In our Gospel reading from Matthew […]
Jesus’ Yoke
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 11, we hear familiar saying of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my […]
A Deceptive Blessing
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Today’s first reading from Genesis 27 is one that is tough to read and perhaps even tougher to understand. Isaac is an old man and wants to anoint his heir with a blessing. His oldest son, Esau, is the one who is to receive the blessing. But that’s not how things went down. Rebekah, Esau […]
Follow Me
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In today’s first reading from Genesis 23 and 24, we see the story of Isaac finding his wife Rebekah. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 9, we read the story of the call of Matthew. “As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, ‘Follow […]
The Ultimate Test
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Today in our first reading from Genesis 22, we see Abraham put to the test by God. Could it be the ultimate test? I think so, and I’ll tell you why in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 9, we see the story Jesus healing a paralytic. But more than just healing him […]
Casting Out Jesus
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In today’s readings we see three instances of casting out. When Sarah was afraid that Abraham would die childless, she encouraged him to have a child with her servant, Hagar. After having her own child, Sarah insisted Abraham cast out Hagar and her son. Saddened, Abraham complies. In today’ Gospel, Jesus has an encounter with two […]
God Bless America!
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I know this blog is supposed to be about the daily readings, but I’m going to veer from that for today. I’ll keep it short. I want to talk for a moment about America. Many people are uncomfortable mixing religion with patriotism. For the most part, I am, too. Many people think that if you […]
Doubting Thomas
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. In the first reading from Ephesians 2, St. Paul tells us that the household of God, the Church, is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. And the Gospel reading from John 20 is the […]
The Rewards of Hospitality
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In Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the Twelve. He tells them many things, mostly about the cost of discipleship and what sort of things they would run into as His disciples. “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” At the end of this chapter, Jesus tells […]
Is Anything Too Marvelous?
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“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof…” Those are familiar words to Catholics, as they are said just before we go to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. Many Catholics may not realize they are quoting Scripture when they speak those words. They are part of today’s Gospel reading from Matthew […]
Laughter
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Abram had just had a son, Ishmael. This son was not born of his wife, Sarai. But in today’s first reading from Genesis 17, God tells Abraham that his wife, Sarah, (notice the name changes) will bear him a son. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading today, Jesus comes down off […]
Two Giants
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Today the Church celebrates two giants of the faith. It is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Interesting, isn’t it? You would think that, given the importance of each, they would both have their own feast day. I mean, after all, Peter was the first Pope, the one who got the keys to the […]
True or False
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“Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited to him as an act of righteousness.” This line is from today’s first reading from Genesis 15. St. Paul also recounts it in his Letter to the Romans, chapter 4. When we put our faith in God, it will be credited to us as righteousness as […]
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 Mount in Matthew 7. What I want to reflect on today will be difficult for some to hear, and will certainly put some people off. […]
Judge Not
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In the first reading today we find ourselves in Genesis 12. We see the LORD telling Abram, “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” So at the tender age of 75, Abram departs. In the Gospel from Matthew 7, Jesus says, […]
Priceless
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Have you ever felt worthless? I suspect we all struggle with those feelings from time to time. Nothing could be further from the truth. We see this in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 10. Jesus tells the disciples how precious they are in the sight of God. Now, his “compliment” may not sound so special […]
John the Baptist
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Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of John the Baptist. In the first reading today from Isaiah 49, we see the messianic prophesies, all of which certainly could be attributed to John the Baptist. In the second reading from Acts 13, St. Paul talks about how John heralded the word of salvation. And the Gospel […]
Jesus’ Heart
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus speaks of His heart in the Gospel reading from Matthew 11: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and […]
A Different Gospel
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Apparently there were some preachers coming through Corinth that were preaching a gospel different from the one that St. Paul had been preaching and teaching. And St. Paul addresses this in 2 Corinthians 11. We’ll talk about that shortly. The Gospel reading today is from Matthew 6, where Jesus teaches us how to pray. We […]
God Supplies
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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. Jesus teaches about the three pillars of Lent, almsgiving, prayer and fasting. In today’s first reading from 2 Corinthians 9, we see what may be […]
Genuine Love
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Love is at the core of the message of Jesus. We see this clearly in both of our Scripture passages in today’s Mass. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus tells us we must love our enemies. And in the first reading from 2 Corinthians 8 St. Paul has words that test the genuineness […]
Returning Insult for Insult
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When is the best time for someone to turn to the Lord? To give their life to Jesus? The answer is NOW! St. Paul says as much in our first reading today from 2 Corinthians 6. “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” If you’re hesitating in any […]
Corpus Christi
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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 our faith. The Gospel reading from John 6 is particularly poignant. I’ve read statistics that say that 65-75% of Catholics don’t believe in the Real […]
Ambassadors for Christ
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Remember the days when a man’s word was his bond? These days that seems a bygone era. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus speaks of the importance of our words. “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the Evil One.” In today’s first reading from 2 Corinthians 5, St. […]
Radical Surgery for Sin
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What an awesome first reading today from 2 Corinthians 4. “We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persectued, but not abondoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” This kind of language from St. Paul always gets me fired up! The world can kick us and beat us and […]
Fixing Our Relationships
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Freedom is a great thing. We all want to be free. How do we find freedom? St. Paul tells us in today’s first reading. “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” In our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus says, “If you bring your gift […]
Called and Qualified
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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, Jesus says just the opposite. In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 5, He says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law […]
Fill the World with Sonshine!
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Ever get a word stuck in your head? Maybe a word or a phrase that you just can’t get out of your mind. Let me give you a suggestion for one today. We get it from our first reading from 2 Corinthians 1. The word is “Yes!” St. Paul says that “yes” has always been […]