It’s About the Birth of a Child
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Merry Christmas to you and your family! The big day has finally arrived. All the shopping is done. Now is the day to go to church, to thank God for the gift of his Son, for our redemption and our salvation. A day to open presents, spoil our kids and just be with family. We […]
So Close…
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Today is Christmas Eve. Many people (myself and my family included) will go to Mass this afternoon or this evening for Christmas. Many will attend the beautiful Midnight Mass. Whenever you attend, I pray that you will be filled with blessings! I recently read an interesting study that said that only 47% of Americans will […]
So Close…
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Today is Christmas Eve. Many people (myself and my family included) will go to Mass this afternoon or this evening for Christmas. Many will attend the beautiful Midnight Mass. Whenever you attend, I pray that you will be filled with blessings! I recently read an interesting study that said that only 47% of Americans will […]
Of Messengers and Messages
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Today’s first reading is from Malachi 3. Malachi prophesies about the Lord’s messenger, “the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.” This prophesy is fulfilled in the person of Jesus. But Malachi also prophesies, “Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes.” Jesus told the people that John […]
Love is With Us
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In today’s first reading from Isaiah 7, we see the prophecy that is at the heart of Christianity. “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” The virgin birth. And the Gospel reading from Matthew tells us that these things would […]
God’s Song for You
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You know something cool about the Catholic liturgy? We celebrate parts of the Christmas story throughout the year. Many of the Gospel readings that we are hearing at this time are also used at other times. For instance, today’s Gospel reading from Luke 1 is the same reading for the Feast of the Visitation on […]
May it be Done to Me
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Today’s first reading includes the great prophecy from Isaiah 7: “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” Today’s Gospel reading is the same one we saw just a few weeks ago on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. As the Christmas story continues to unfold this week in the […]
You Don’t Say
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Interesting readings we see on this Thursday before Christmas. Today the Church gives us two stories of men whose births were announced by an angel, Samson and John the Baptist. There are many similarities between the two, as the readings show us. In the first reading from Judges 13, the angel of the Lord appears […]
I Have a Dream!
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Today in the first reading from Jeremiah 23, the Lord says, “Behold, the days are coming when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is right and just in the land.” I’m sure that, looking at this prophecy, the people were […]
Jesus’ Family Line
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Well, it is one week before Christmas Eve! Are you feeling it yet? Beginning today, the liturgy begins to unfold the story of Christmas. In the first reading today from Genesis 49, we hear Jacob telling his sons, “The scepter shall never depart from Judah, or the mace from between his legs, while tribute is […]
Submitting to Authority
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In today’s first reading from Numbers 24, we meet an interesting character named Balaam. Balaam utters a prophecy. “A star shall advance from Jacob, and staff shall rise from Israel.” Though this is not mentioned in the New Testament anywhere, the Church Fathers believed this to be a Messianic prophecy. The star and that staff […]
The Example of the Prophets
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Happy Gaudete Sunday! The Third Sunday of Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “rejoice.” It is the first word of the Introit, or entrance antiphon, in the Mass. Today we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath. Rejoice! The Lord is near! Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 11 once again focuses on […]
God of the Unexpected
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Today’s first reading is from the Book of Sirach. The author talks of Elijah, “whose words were a flaming furnace.” Then in the Gospel reading from Matthew 17, the disciples ask Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answers and tells them that “Elijah has already come.” But the scribes […]
Of Wisdom and Works
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In the first reading today from Isaiah 48, God says, “I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should go.” Going the way God wants us to go is rarely the easy way. But it is always the way of wisdom. In our Gospel […]
A Merciful Mother
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego on a hill in Tepeyac, Mexico, in December of 1531, she declared, “I am your most merciful Mother; I want to show my loving clemency and compassion to those who call upon me in their […]
On Eagles’ Wings
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We’re back in Isaiah for our first reading today. The final verse in today’s reading is Isaiah 40:31. I’ll talk about it in a moment. Our Gospel passage today is a short one, from Matthew 11. Jesus tells the people, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you […]
Cry Out!
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Our “golden thread” today is that of shepherds and sheep. In the first reading from Isaiah 40, the prophet says, “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” Then in the Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus speaks […]
Immaculate Mary
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.Since the actual date of the feast was yesterday, a Sunday, today is not a Holy Day of obligation. Let’s talk briefly today about what the Immaculate Conception is, and isn’t. Probably the most common misconception (no pun intended) that people have is that the Immaculate Conception […]
A Voice for Today
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Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 3, we read about John the Baptist. As Matthew tells us, he is the one about whom the prophet Isaiah wrote, “A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’ ” That’s […]
Great Teacher or God?
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As you read today’s first reading from Isaiah 30, I hope your mind is immediately drawn to Jesus. We see these prophesies so perfectly fulfilled in Jesus. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading today, we see Jesus sending out the Twelve, with authority. He tells them, “Without cost you have received; […]
Got Faith?
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The Advent readings in the Liturgy are marvelous! Today’s “golden thread” features healing of the blind. In the first reading today from Isaiah 29, the Lord says, “On that day the deaf shall hear…the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the […]
A Foundation of Rock
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Have you ever been to New York City? If not, you’ve surely seen it before. Skyscrapers all throughout Manhattan reaching to the heavens. Ever wonder how they put those things all so close together, and how they always remain so firm? It’s because of their foundation. Manhattan has this amazingly strong bedrock underneath all those […]
Revealing the Father
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Our first reading today is from Isaiah 11. “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” This is a prophecy about how the Messiah, Jesus, would descend from the line of David. (Jesse was David’s father.) We’ll see this reading again as we […]
Your Shelter
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“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” These are the great words of faith said by the centurion that we see in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 8. As we echo these words each time we attend Mass, just before […]
Your Shelter
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“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” These are the great words of faith said by the centurion that we see in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 8. As we echo these words each time we attend Mass, just before […]
A New Year
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Today we begin a new year in the Church. Happy Advent! The world wants us to think that this is the Christmas season. But the Christmas season actually STARTS with Christmas! Now, I’m not saying that we shouldn’t get in the Christmas spirit. We should. But our mindset needs to go far beyond shopping and […]
Brother Act
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Today is the feast of St. Andrew. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. In the first reading from Romans 10, St. Paul asks a number of questions…”How can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?” Did you know that the word “apostle” means “one who is […]
His Words Will Not Pass Away
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In our first reading today from Daniel 7, the prophet is privileged to get a vision of heaven. He sees “One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven.” It was Jesus. The One whose “kingship shall not be destroyed. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus says, “Heaven and earth […]
Thanksgiving
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Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving! I have a link to today’s readings at the bottom of today’s post. But rather than comment on the readings, I want to take a moment to reflect on Thanksgiving. Did you know that the word Eucharist translates to “thanksgiving?” Isn’t it interesting that, as Catholics, […]
The Handwriting on Our Wall
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I think that many people are unaware that many common expressions actually oringinated in the Bible. Today is another example of that. We’ll talk about it in a sec. For our Gospel passage today, we’re back in Luke 21, with Jesus talking about the end of time. I talk often about how Christianity is not […]
The End is Near!
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Ever heard the expression “feet of clay?” It means when someone has a fatal flaw. Usually someone admired or thought highly of. We use the expression when someone lets us down. Really, we all have feet of clay. Well…at least I do. Anyway, that expression came from today’s first reading from Daniel 2. Daniel interprets […]
No Pain, No Gain
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In the first reading today, we read the beginning of the Book of the Prophet Daniel. Daniel was a gifted young man, and faithful to God. For that, God blessed him in many ways. We’ll see more this week. In the Gospel reading from Luke 21, a poor widow puts two small coins into the […]
King of Our Lives
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Today the Church celebrates the end of the liturgical year. Fittingly enough, it is the Feast of Christ the King. All of the readings today point to the kingship of Christ. In the Gospel reading from Luke 23, the people are sneering at Jesus as He hangs on the cross. Above him there was an […]
Trying to Trick Jesus
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In our first reading today from 1 Maccabees 6, we see a king who knows the score in his life. King Antiochus had done some dastardly things. He began to undergo great misfortune and was soon to die. And near the end, he realized that he was being punished for the terrible things he had […]
Hanging On Jesus’ Words
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In the first reading today from 1 Maccabees 4, we read about the origins of Hanukkah. Do you know what that Jewish feast, celebrated to this day, is all about? Read and find out! In the Gospel reading from Luke 19, we see Jesus throwing the merchants out of the temple area. The big shots […]
Our Visitation
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We meet another hero today in our first reading from 1 Maccabees. Today we meet Mattathias. Mattathias had had enough of the baloney (trying to be genteel here) that was being shoved down the throats of his people. When he sees a fellow Jew offering sacrifice to a false god, “his just fury was aroused; […]
Parenting for Eternity
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In our first reading today from 2 Maccabees 7, we meet yet another fascinating character. She is a mother who exhibits amazing faith and bravery. Some may think otherwise, but I think so, and I’ll tell you why in a moment. In the Gospel passage from Luke 19, Jesus tells a parable about three servants […]
Heroes of the Faith
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In today’s readings, we meet two great characters of the Bible! The first, Eleazar, is one who is probably very little known, the other very well known, especially with kids. He is Zacchaeus. You know the story…Zacchaeus is a little squirt of a guy who climbs up a tree to see Jesus. Jesus calls out […]
Please Let Me See
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How strong are you in your faith? How much are you willing to suffer for your faith? In our first reading today from 1 Maccabees 1, we read that “many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean; they preferred to die rather than to be defiled with unclean […]
Letting God Do the Talking
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Christianity has to be from God. Why do I say this? Because Jesus told His disciples again and again what they were in for. “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name.” […]
A Prayer Pit Bull
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In the first reading today from Wisdom 18, we get kind of an overview of the Passover and Israel’s escape from Egypt. In the Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of a widow who wants to get a ruling from a corrupt judge. She continues to pester him to give her a […]
The Creator in the Created
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As we draw closer to the end of the liturgical year, the Gospel readings continue to allude to the end of days. In today’s reading from Luke 17, Jesus describes what it will be like when the Son of Man returns. In the first reading from Wisdom 13, the sacred author talks about the foolishness […]
Seeking Wisdom
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Our first reading today is again from the Book of Wisdom. What an amazing book! In it, Wisdom is always referred to as a female personal pronoun, she. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading today from Luke 17, the Pharisees want to know from Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus […]
Giving Thanks
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Being a leader of people brings great responsibility. Leaders should always strive to attain wisdom. We see this call in our first reading today from Wisdom 6. We must always be praying for our leaders, civil and religious. Let us pray that they will always be open to a greater acceptance of the Holy Spirit. […]
What Comes Next
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When we do good, we are doing as we ought. We should expect no fanfare, no parades, no accolades. Jesus talks about this is today’s Gospel reading from Luke 17. He says, “When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’ […]
God of the Living
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The first reading today from 2 Maccabees is an amazing story of courage in the face of terrible persecution. Read it for yourself, because it ties directly in with today’s Gospel reading. In the Gospel reading today from Luke 20, Jesus talks about marriage and the resurrection. Some Sadducees, who did not believe in the […]
Zealous
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of he Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. This Basilica, constructed by the Emperor Constantine, is called the mother church of Christendom. The readings today all refer to buildings in one way or another. The first reading talks about the temple in Ezekiel 47. The second reading talks about how […]
A Long Term Approach
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If anyone had a right to boast, it was St. Paul. A prolific writer, eloquent speaker, man of great charisma…the guy had it all. But he would never boast of himself. In today’s first reading from Romans 15, he says, “For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through […]
Welcome, Sinners!
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Whose are you? Seems an odd question, doesn’t it? But think about it for a moment. Whose are you? St. Paul gives us the answer in today’s first reading from Romans 14. “For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live […]
Letting Go
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I love Romans 13:8, the opening line in today’s first reading: “Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” Are you paying your debt to all today? In the Gospel reading from Luke 14, we hear Jesus tell us that we must “hate” our […]