60 Second Reflections » 60 Reflections
Blessed are You
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For our first reading today we begin a journey through St. Paul’s second Letter to the Corinthians. Today’s reading is all about encouragement. Our Gospel reading today is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. We know them as the Beatitudes. Have you ever read the Beatitudes in relation to yourself? […]
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Our Gospel reading is John 3:16-18. John 3:16 may be the most well known Bible verse. Most people would at least claim to know the reference, if not what John 3:16 says. (By the way, it is “God so loved the world that he gave […]
No Pain, No Gain
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 12, a poor widow puts two small coins into the treasury of the temple. Rich people were coming in and putting large sums of money into the treasury. Jesus took note of this and said, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the […]
Restored Sight
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We see in the Scriptures numerous stories of sight being restored. Bartimaeus and Saul come to mind immediately. Today in our first reading, we see another blind man getting his sight back. It is Tobit. In the Gospel from Mark 12, Jesus asks how the Christ could be the son of David. After all, David […]
The Importance of Couple Prayer
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There are many touching, beautiful prayers in the Scriptures. Today in our first reading from Tobit, we see a newly married couple praying together. If this doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, then perhaps you need a check up from the neck up. In the Gospel reading, Jesus is asked which is the greatest […]
Not God of the Dead
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In today’s first reading from Tobit 3, we’re introduced to one of the archangels, Raphael. God hears the prayers of Tobit and Sarah, and sends Raphael to carry out His will. In the Gospel reading from Mark 12, some Saducees come to Jesus with yet another trick question. They pose to him a scenario where […]
Caesar’s or God’s?
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In the Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus is asked by some Pharisees and Herodians about paying taxes. They try to trip Him up by asking, “Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? ” Jesus’ reply is quite well known to most people. “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar […]
Do the Right Thing
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Welcome back to Ordinary Time! After forty days of Lent and fifty days of Easter, we return now to ordinary time. Our first reading today is the beginning of the book of Tobit. This is one of those books that is found in the Catholic Bible, but not in a Protestant one. (Unless it contained […]
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
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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 it 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 […]
The Big Question
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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 […]
God’s Love
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Paul was seen by many as a rabble-rouser. In today’s first reading from Acts, he creates a stir between the Pharisees and the Sadducees over the resurrection of the body. Things get so heated that troops have to come in and rescue Paul before he gets torn to shreds. Then the Lord tells Paul that […]
The Example of 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 […]
The Unimportance of Life
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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, […]
Sacrifice
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A bit of a deviation from our normal format today. I’ve still got the link for today’s readings at the bottom of this post. And, of course, I encourage you to read them. There is, as always, much richness. I want to take a moment to ruminate on the holiday that we celebrate in the […]
Belonging
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At Mass today, you may be celebrating the Ascension of the Lord. Since I reflected on those readings Thursday, we’ll reflect on the readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter today. In the Gospel reading today from John 17, Jesus raises his eyes to heaven and prays to the Father. He says, “I revealed your […]
An Answer to Prayer
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More great action in the first reading from Acts 18. Today we meet a Scripture expert named Apollos. After studying the Scriptures, “he established from the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.” He turned out to be another one of those great converts. In the Gospel today from John 16, Jesus tells his disciples, “Amen, […]
Sinful Silence
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You may think that baldness is a recent fad. If that is the case, then St. Paul would fit right in! We see in today’s first reading from Acts 18 that, because of a vow he took, he had his head shaved. In the Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus equates the grief that His […]
The Ascension of the Lord
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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 […]
Are You Convicted?
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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 […]
Jesus Revealed
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In today’s Gospel reading from John 14, Jesus says, “And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” We know that Jesus is God. And that God can do whatever God wants to do. So Jesus can reveal Himself to anyone, even those who […]
You are Hated
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Jesus spoke often about love. It’s kind of what He was all about. But today we hear Him speak of hate. And not just generically, but very specifically. He tells the disciples, “Because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you.” The Christian […]
Love One Another
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In the Gospel reading today from John 15, Jesus reiterates the new commandment He gave to the Apostles. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? The new commandment, wrapped up in three words. Love one another. He goes on to say, “No one has greater love than this, […]
Jesus’ Joy, Our Joy
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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. […]
Spiritual Horticulture
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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 hierarchy needed to decide the matter. In today’s Gospel […]
Peace and Hardships
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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, […]
The Cult of Personality
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In the Gospel reading today from John 14, Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” We all like to think that we love Jesus, right? But are we keeping His word? Are we living out […]
To the Father Through Jesus
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In today’s Gospel reading from John 14, Thomas says to Jesus, “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus replies, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one come to the Father except through me.” There’s an interesting heresy that is especially popular […]
Our Lady of Fatima
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Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima. There are not specific readings for this feast day, but I want to reflect on this today. Of course, the link to the daily readings will give you the readings for Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter. It was one hundred years ago today that […]
Troubled Heart?
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Today in the first reading, Paul continues his address to those in the synagogue in Antioch. And in the Gospel reading, we see Jesus in the upper room, at the Last Supper. He has just finished washing the disciples’ feet when He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; […]
You are Chosen
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In today’s first reading from Acts 13, Paul gets up in the synagogue in Antioch and begins to tell the story of salvation to the people. Today’s reading ends with John the Baptist. Tomorrow we’ll pick it up from there and hear of the Messiah, Jesus. In the Gospel reading from John 13, Jesus is […]
Remaining in Darkness
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It’s interesting to see how often the Holy Spirit speaks in Acts of the Apostles. We see another instance of this in today’s first reading, where the Holy Spirit says, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then the Holy Spirit sends them forth…just as is […]
Seeing the Grace of God
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In today’s first reading from Acts 11, news reaches the Apostles in Jerusalem about the growing Church in Antioch. So they sent Barnabas to Antioch. Did you know that’s where the word “Christians” came from? “When [Barnabas] arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the […]
A Good Shepherd
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Why do Jews not eat certain foods and Christians do? Peter and many of the early Christians, who were Jews, struggled with this. In today’s first reading from Acts 11, God gives Peter a revelation about this. In our Gospel reading today from John 10, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” He then goes […]
Living the Abundant Life
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In the Gospel reading today from John 10, Jesus says, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” What does this mean? A great thing for us to think about each day. Let me start by talking about what it DOESN’T mean. In our way of thinking today, the word […]
To Whom Shall We Go?
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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 […]
Literally, Literally
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Today’s first reading from Acts 9 tells us about the conversion of St. Paul. It’s a story that is always worth reading and reflecting on. Today I want to reflect on the Gospel reading from John 6. Today’s Gospel is at the heart of Catholic theology on the Eucharist. We hear Jesus saying, “Unless you eat the […]
Bread = 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 first deacons, to interpret the Scriptures for an Ethiopian eunuch. After this, the eunuch says, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent me from being baptized?” Philip baptizes him, then disappears. This passage always […]
Slow on the Uptake
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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 […]
The New Bread from Heaven
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Stephen was the first martyr; he was the first person in recorded history to shed his blood and die for the sake of his faith in Jesus. In the first reading today from Acts 7, we read about how that happened. Be sure to note the last words from the lips of St. Stephen. In […]
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, 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 but […]
The Importance of Scripture
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In today’s first reading from Acts 3, St. Peter talks about the empty tomb. And in today’s Gospel from Luke 24, Jesus appears to two of His disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. After Jesus was made known to them “in the breaking of the bread,” They said, “Were not our hearts burning within us […]
Thank a Deacon!
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For today’s Gospel reading, we’re back in John 6. The disciples are out on a boat when they see Jesus walking toward them on the water. It was dark and naturally the disciples had never seen anything like this before, so they were afraid. But Jesus calms their fears, saying, “It is I. Do not […]
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. […]
How Much of the Spirit Do You Want?
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In today’s first reading from Acts 5, Peter and the Apostles were called on the carpet by the Sanhedrin for teaching in the name of Jesus. Their response? “We must obey God rather than men.” Words for us to live by. In the Gospel reading from John 3, we see a very important thought from […]
Personalizing John 3:16
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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 […]
Resist the Devil
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Today is the Feast of St. Mark. Mark was a cousin of Barnabas, accompanied St. Paul on his first missionary journey and later went with him to Rome. He was a disciple of St. Peter whose teaching was the basis for Mark’s Gospel. The Gospel reading today is the end of Mark’s Gospel, where Jesus […]
Born Again in Baptism
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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 […]