Questions for God
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds in the field. Today's first reading from Jeremiah 14 features a number of questions. The people...
Good For Nothing
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Today’s first reading from Jeremiah 13 seems a very odd tale at first. God tells Jeremiah to go buy a loincloth, then go hide it, then go get it again....
What is Heaven Worth?
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus tells two very brief parables about what the Kingdom of heaven is like. (If you get the longer form of the reading,...
Drinking the Chalice of Christ
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Today is the Feast of St. James. There were two Apostles named James. They’re referred to as James the Greater and James the Lesser. The only reason is that James...
An Amazing ROI
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explains the Parable of the Sower. It is one that is very near to my heart, as it sparked my Seeds of...
The Faith of Youth
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Jesus' disciples asked why He spoke to the crowds in parables. He answers them in today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13. In the first reading from Jeremiah 2, the LORD...
Mary Magdalene and You
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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...
The Ocean of Mercy
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 12, Jesus is told that his mother and his brothers are outside the house wanting to speak to Him. Jesus says, “Whoever does...
God's Requirements
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Ask people the question: What does God require of you? I’m sure you’ll get plenty of answers. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading today from Matthew...
Shine Like the Sun
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explains the parable of the weeds in the field. Jesus makes it clear that the wheat and weeds would grow together. But...
Evil Doesn't Pay
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In our first reading today from Micah 2, we see once again what God has planned for those who plan iniquity. The responsorial Psalm mirrors this. In our Gospel reading,...
Mercy on Oneself
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In the first reading today from Isaiah 38, King Hezekiah is on his death bed. He cries and prays, and the LORD answers his prayer and the prophet Isaiah informs...
Being Teachable
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In our first reading today from Isaiah 26, we see about our profession as Christians a belief in the resurrection of the body. Centuries before Jesus came, the LORD said...
Be An Instrument
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It is important for us in our Christian walk to be childlike. Jesus speaks of why this is important in our Gospel reading from Matthew 11. In the first reading...
Firm Faith
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In today's first reading from Isaiah 7, Ahaz, king of Judah, is told by the Lord through Isaiah that the attack on Judah would not be successful; the Lord would...
The Soil Test
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explains the parable of the sower. When I read about the different kinds of soil in this parable, I think to myself...
Enduring Through Hate
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In today's first reading from Hosea 14, we read some of the most tender words given by the LORD. "I will heal their defection, says the LORD, I will love...
God is the Healer
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus sends out the Twelve with their instructions. For the first reading, we're back in Hosea, chapter 11. Yet it was I who...
Fear of the Lord
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In the first reading today from Hosea 10, we read, "Since they do not fear the LORD, what can the king do for them?" It's a rhetorical question, of course....
The Law of Sowing and Reaping
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In today's first reading from Hosea 8, we read this: "When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind." Perhaps you've heard the old expression, "You reap what you...
Jesus' Healing Touch
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Today in the Gospel reading from Matthew 9, we see two miracle healings. The two are similar, yet very different. And we can learn lessons from both of them. A...
Being Yoked to Jesus
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 11, we hear a familiar saying of Jesus. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest....
America the Beautiful
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Happy Independence Day! Imagine it - 250 years of the American experiment. Hard to believe we've been around for that long. Even though this great nation has its flaws, warts...
Awesome Thomas
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Today is the Feast of St. Thomas. That’s right, Doubting Thomas. That story is our Gospel reading. More on that in a moment. Our first reading today from Ephesians talks...
An Unlikely Prophet
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Amos was an unlikely prophet. Take a look at the first reading today and you’ll see what I mean. He was, like most all the prophets, quite unpopular, too. More...
Good and Evil
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Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 8 is the story of Jesus casting demons out of two men and into a herd of swine. The people of the town were none...
O You of Little Faith
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We know that God is a loving Father. Jesus came to show us that. But even loving fathers punish their children when punishment is merited. In today’s first reading from...
Two Giants of the Faith
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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,...
Jesus Over All
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus finishes His instructions as He sends out the Twelve. He says, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy...
I am Not Worthy
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Today’s first reading is from Lamentations. It is a sad, depressing read. After reading over the last few days about the diaspora and the Babylonian exile, this is a cry...
Overcoming Shame
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 8, Jesus comes down from the mountain after giving the Sermon on the Mount. He is approached by a leper who says to Him,...
The Importance of Doing God's Will
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 7, Jesus says, "“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of...
The Last of the Prophets
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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...
Entering Through The Narrow Gate
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Our God is a big God. He can handle anything, even things that we might think are too big for even God! We see an awesome example of this in...
The Beam in Your Eye
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After doing some yard work recently, I got a little piece of wood stuck in my eye. I went to my eye doctor (a wonderful Catholic deacon) and he removed...
He Knows Your Hair(s)
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 10, Jesus talks about your worth. “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground...
Why Worry?
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Today’s first reading from 2 Chronicles is a story of what happens when we abandon God. Read the story and you’ll see that it is not good. In today’s Gospel...
Using Our Eyes
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 6, Jesus talks about the eye. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be...
If You Forgive Others...
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. He teaches them the prayer we all know as the Our Father. It is probably...
Double the Blessing
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Today’s first reading is one that has stuck with me since the first time I ever heard it. Elijah is about to hand the office of prophet over to Elisha....
It Rains on Us All
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The Sermon on the Mount is filled with tough teachings. Today’s may be the toughest of all. (Of course, we can say that about nearly every verse!) “But I say...
Turning the Other Cheek
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In today's first reading from 1 Kings 21, we meet Jezebel, one of the most cold-blooded people you'll ever hear of. Read the sordid tale. In our Gospel reading from...
Without Cost
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Today in Matthew’s Gospel, we see Jesus sending out the Twelve saying, “Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give.” Sometimes it is easy for us to...
A Mother's Heart
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Yesterday was the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is appropriate that we celebrate the heart...
A Heart for You
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Today is the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 11, we see Jesus' heart for you when He says, "Come to me,...
Son of Encouragement
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Barnabas. There are two optional Gospel readings for today. The reading for the feast day is from Matthew 10 where Jesus sends out...
Testing God
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More from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel reading today. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have...
God Provides
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In the first reading today from 1 Kings 17, we see more of the story of Elijah. More in a moment. We continue in the Sermon on the Mount for...
A Beatitude Meditation
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In today’s Gospel reading, we begin Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount, from Matthew 5. He begins with the beatitudes. I’d like to go through a quick exercise today where...
Christ's True Presence in the Eucharist
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi. All of the readings today point to the Eucharist, the source and...