60 Second Reflections » 60 Reflections
Are You Proclaiming the Gospel?
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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. Uh…not so much. Peter responds with, “It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen […]
The Name of Jesus
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In Acts 4 today, we pick up the story of Peter and John right after the healing of the crippled beggar. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading today from John 21, the disciples are out fishing. Remember, these guys were professional fishermen. After catching nothing all night, they see Jesus, who […]
Times of Refreshment
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In the first reading today from Acts 3, Peter tells the people that it was not they (Peter and his companions) who had healed the crippled man, but the power of God. In the Gospel reading from Luke 24, Jesus appears to the disciples and asks for something to eat to reassure them that He […]
The Unexpected Gift
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Another great story from Acts 3 for our first reading today. We’ll talk about that in a moment. The Gospel reading from Luke 24 is one of the most interesting stories in the New Testament. It is the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. After spending time with Jesus and not […]
The Promise
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We’re back in Acts 2 for our first reading today, hearing more of Peter’s great speech at Pentecost. In the Gospel reading from John 20, Mary Magdalene has two amazing encounters; the first with two angels, the second with the risen Lord. Mary does not recognize Jesus until He says to her, “Mary!” She then […]
His Tomb is Empty
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Happy Easter Monday! Liturgically, the Easter season will be around for quite some time. How appropriate! We have forty days of Lent, but fifty days of Easter. So up until Pentecost, we will be taking a trip through the Acts of the Apostles in our first readings. Acts is like a real-life adventure story, so […]
Happy Easter!
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He is risen! Alleluia! (Boy, it seems like a long time since we’ver heard that word!) Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. This is the greatest day of the Church year. The day that sin and death were defeated, put in their place. Even death could not hold the Son of […]
The Day Before
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Holy Saturday is an interesting day. It reminds me of waiting in the doctor’s office waiting room after you have had some tests run. You’re kind of in a state of limbo. Hopeful that the results will come back good, but still having that creeping sense of doubt. I suppose this is what Jesus’ disciples […]
Were You There?
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Today is the one day of the year when there is no Mass celebrated. The commemoration of Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year. The readings for the Good Friday liturgy are so moving. In the first reading from Isaiah 52, we see prophesied that which Jesus would endure on this day. […]
Washing Your Feet
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Lent is over today. We begin tonight the Sacred Triduum. It is one long liturgical celebration that encompasses Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. I hope you will make it to church for all of the services. Tonight’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper is one of the most moving liturgies of the Church year. […]
The Betrayal Game
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Want to know what Jesus is all about and what he did for you? Check out today’s first reading from Isaiah 50. It really says it all. On Wednesday of Holy Week, we think about Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Jesus. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 26, we see Judas cutting a deal […]
“I Will Lay Down My Life for You”
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Our first reading today is from Isaiah 49, more from the prophesies of the Servant of the Lord. “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Our Gospel reading is from John 13. Here we see Peter at his finest, just moments before we […]
A Gift to Christ
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Monday of Holy Week. Our first reading today is from Isaiah 42. The Servant of the Lord. “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my Spirit.” As we read these words, we recall how they describe Jesus to a tee. “A bruised […]
Palm Sunday
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“Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest!” What a week this must have been for Jesus. Of course, He knew what was about to happen in the coming days. But what if that were you or me riding on that donkey […]
One Dying for the Many
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As we approach Palm Sunday, the story of the final week of Jesus’ life unfolds. In the first reading from Ezekiel 37, the prophet speaks of the return of the Davidic Kingdom. Of course, Jesus came to fulfill the Davidic Kingdom in a perfect way. In the Gospel reading from John 11, Caiaphas, the high […]
Doing the Father’s Works
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In today’s first reading from Jeremiah 20, we hear the people plotting against Jeremiah. But they will not be victorious; they will not have their way. Jeremiah says, “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph…Praise the Lord, for he has rescued the life of […]
Living the Covenant
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There are only a very few instances of God changing someone’s name in the Scriptures. Today we see the first of these in Genesis 17. Abram gets a new name. “Your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations.” This is pretty groundbreaking stuff, as Abraham and […]
Set Free
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In today’s first reading from Daniel 3, we see the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego getting thrown into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith. Faith enough to know that when they got thrown into the furnace, God would set them free. In today’s Gospel from John 8, Jesus talks about being […]
Look Up
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Today’s first reading from Numbers 21 tells us the story of God sending saraph serpents among the people of Israel, who had become terrible whiners. God then commands Moses to make a bronze serpent and mount it on a pole. Whenever someone looked up at the serpent, they would be healed and live. In the […]
Starting Over
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In today’s readings, we see the stories of two women who are about to be killed. In the first reading from Daniel, we see the story of Susanna. Two wicked men falsely accuse her of a crime punishable by death. But their falsehoods are revealed by Daniel. It really is a magnificent story, one that […]
“Come Out!”
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For the Fifth Sunday of Lent, the theme of the readings is being raised from the dead. In the first reading from Ezekiel 37, God says, “Then you hslal know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and have you rise from them, O my people!” And in the second reading from […]
Put on “New Ears”
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Another ominous reading for our first reading today, this time from Jeremiah 11. As we draw closer to Holy Week and Good Friday, we begin to see the readings get darker. In the Gospel reading from John 7, the people continue to conjecture from where the Christ would come. “The Christ will not come from […]
Close to the Brokenhearted
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An eerie first reading today from Wisdom 2. It describes the things that Jesus went through to a tee. Be sure to read it and see if you don’t shake your head in amazement knowing that this was written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. The Gospel reading today is from John 7, […]
Accepting Human Praise
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In today’s first reading from Exodus 32, Moses has a little heart-to-heart with God, asking Him to relent from destroying His people. And God relented. A wonderful statement on the power of prayer. And in the Gospel reading from John 5, Jesus talks about accepting praise. He says, “I do not accept human praise.” And […]
Seeking Our Own Will
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In the first reading today from Isaiah 49, we hear this question: “Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” Now, you would think that that is a rhetorical question. Yet it isn’t. We have all heard cases of mothers doing unspeakable things to their children. Here is […]
Sticking With the Status Quo
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Water is a theme that runs through our two readings today. In the first reading from Ezekiel 47, the Angel of the Lord shows Ezekiel a trickle of water flowing out from the temple. The farther they get from the temple, the greater the flow, until the water becomes a large river, teeming with abundant […]
Even When He’s Far, He’s Close
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What a beautiful reading today from Isaiah 65. We get a glimpse of what things will be like in the days to come. “There will always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create.” The New Jerusalem. It’s where we’re headed! In our Gospel reading today from John 4, we see Jesus perform a “long […]
Seeing and Not Seeing
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Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The Gospel reading today is from John 9. It is the story of a man blind from birth who received his sight from Jesus. The man goes before the Pharisees and they question him about Jesus. When proclaims that the healing is from God, the Pharisees become indignant […]
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
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We’re back in Hosea for our first reading today. We see a verse from Hosea that is quoted a few times in the New Testament. “For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” It would do us well to learn the meaning of those words. In […]
A Difficult Love
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Today’s first reading from Hosea 14 contains some of the most beautiful imagery in Scripture. It shows us God’s loving heart for his people. Even though they had turned away, He will welcome them back, if they just ask for His forgiveness. “I will heal their defection, says the Lord, I will love them freely.” […]
Fully Armed
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In the first reading today from Jeremiah 7, we read the story of a nation that has abandoned God. God says, “Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper. But they obeyed not, nor did they pay heed. They walked in the hardness of their evil hearts and turned […]
Teaching Our Kids the Faith
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The observance of God’s laws was of paramount importance to the Israelite people. God gave his laws to Moses, who taught them to and enjoined them on the people. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus gives the people the same message. “Do not think I have come […]
How Many Times?
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Today’s first reading contains one of the most beautiful prayers in all of Scripture. It is the prayer of Azariah from Daniel 3. Azariah and his two companions had been thrown into the fiery furnace by the king, because they prayed to the one true God. While in the furnace, this is the prayer that […]
Loving the Outsider
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In today’s first reading from 2 Kings 5:1-15, we see the story of Naaman the Syrian. Naaman was a high ranking military official in Syria, but not an Israelite. He was also a leper. The prophet Elisha gave him instructions on how to cleanse himself of his leprosy. Reluctantly, he listened to the words of […]
Breaking Down Barriers
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Today’s Gospel reading is a very long one. But so worth it! Do yourself a favor and read the reading before you go to Mass today. And if you’ve already been to Mass, read it again. It will certainly be time well spent! Jesus meets up with a Samaritan woman at a well. Two unusual […]
The People of the Prodigal Son Story
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Some beautiful imagery in today’s first reading from Micah 7. We see that God “delights in clemency…will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.” Then Psalm 103 reminds us that “The Lord is kind and merciful.” And speaking of kindness and mercy, our Gospel reading is from Luke 15, the story of […]
And the Answer is…YES!
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Exactly nine months from now, we celebrate Christmas! Let me be the first to wish you Merry Christmas 2011! So, what would happen nine months before the birth of Christ? Mary finds out she is with child. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation. In the first reading we see that famous prophecy […]
Can You See Him?
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Our first reading today from Jeremiah 17 and the Responsorial Psalm are nearly identical. At the end of the passage from Jeremiah, we read, “I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.” God knows where our hearts are. […]
Standing in the Gap
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Jeremiah had a tough gig. You’ve heard the old expression “No good deed goes unpunished.” Well, Jeremiah was a living example of that. He was a prophet, a messenger. All he did was stand up and say what God wanted him to say. And what did it get him? Only the wrath of the people. […]
Leading by Example
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Have you ever messed up and wanted to make things right? In today’s first reading, we hear that very kind of language. Only the one who wants to set things right is not the one who messed things up in the first place. It is God Himself. “Come now, let us set things right, say […]
Give
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Anyone who has ever dealt with addiction of any kind knows that the first step to recovery is admitting that we have a problem. Part of the human condition is that we are all addicts; we are all addicted to sin. In the first reading today from Daniel 9, we see that first step in the […]
We Become What We Receive
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Today’s Gospel reading is Matthew’s version of the Transfiguration. This is when Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to the top of the mountain and reveals His heavenly glory. Moses and Elijah appear with him. And a voice comes from a cloud that says, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased; […]
The Example of Fatherhood
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph. In our first reading from 2 Samuel, God says that his Son would spring from the line of David. “I will make his royal throne firm forever.” Joseph, though not Jesus’ biological father, was from the line of David. There are two options for a Gospel […]
Be Reconciled
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It is imperative that we not only believe in Christ, but that we live out His words. In the first reading today from Ezekiel 18, we see the truth of this. “But if the wicked, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he […]
St. Patrick’s Breastplate
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’m going to go a bit out of the normal today and not do a reflection on the daily readings. In honor of St. Patrick, I want to share with you the beautiful St. Patrick’s Breastplate. Many people may know a small part of this beautiful prayer (specifically the next-to-last stanza), […]
Changing God’s Mind
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Today’s readings are about Jonah. Most people know the story from when they were kids. Or at least part of the story. If you were to ask 100 people about the story of Jonah, my guess is that the vast majority would only know one fact. He was the guy that got swallowed up by […]
The Word of God
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What a beautiful reading today from Isaiah 55. We’ll talk about it in a moment. Our Gospel reading today from Matthew 6 is where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray. He teaches them the “Our Father.” But that’s not the end of the story. Immediately after the prayer, Jesus tells them, “If you forgive men […]
These Least Ones
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In the first reading today from Leviticus 19, the Lord tells Moses to tell the people how to conduct themselves. Though not the Ten Commandments, this reading sounds similar. It ends with the great commandment, the one that Jesus spoke of when asked which is the greatest of the commandments…”You shall love your neighbor as […]
Satan’s Tricks
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Today is the First Sunday of Lent. Our Gospel reading is from Matthew 4. St. Matthew recounts the forty days that Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert before He began His public ministry. While He was in the desert, Satan came to tempt and test him. We must always remember that Jesus, thought fully God, […]
Our Spiritual Doctor
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We hear more today about things that are pleasing to God in our first reading from Isaiah 58. The Lord also talks about how we should conduct ourselves on the sabbath. “If you honor it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or speaking with malice – Then you shall delight in the […]