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 […]
Understanding Sacred Scripture
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Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies. Again and again he said, “So that the Scriptures may be fulfilled…” In today’s first reading from Acts 3, St. Peter quotes the Old Testament Scriptures twice. He goes on to say, “Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these […]
The Greater 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 […]
Baptism and Salvation
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Back we go to the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 today. When the people heard about salvation through Christ Jesus, they asked Peter and the other Apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading today, we’re in John 20, reading about St. John’s post-resurrection […]
The Empty Tomb
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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 […]
He is Risen!
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Well, we made it! All the way through Lent, through the cross and now onto the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. Praise God! He is risen! Every year on Easter one of my most fervent prayers is for the people who only go to church once or twice a year. As I have […]
He is Risen!
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Well, we made it! All the way through Lent, through the cross and now onto the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord. Praise God! He is risen! Every year on Easter one of my most fervent prayers is for the people who only go to church once or twice a year. As I have […]
Welcome New Catholics!
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Another long Lenten journey has come to a close. Tonight we celebrate the great Easter Vigil. Over 100,000 people will be welcomed into the Catholic Church around America. Wow! What an exciting moment. I know it is one that will never be forgotten for the many catechumens and candidates who will be welcomed into full […]
The Cross
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Good Friday. Today is the only day of the year when there is no Mass. Though there is no Mass, I’m sure that your parish will be having at least one service today. Perhaps it wil be Stations of the Cross and Veneration of the Cross. Maybe it will be the commemoration of the Passion. […]
A Life of Service
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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. […]
I, Judas
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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 […]
Peter
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The story of Jesus is called “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” I think that Holy Week is maybe the neatest part of the story. And today’s Gospel reading is one of the reasons. In our first reading today we’re back in Isaiah, today chapter 49, hearing more about the The Servant of the Lord. “I […]
Our Gifts to the Lord
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Monday of Holy Week. Our first reading today is from Isaiah 42 – the beginning of the Servant of the Lord prophesies. “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 […]
Remembering Christ’s Passion
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Today is one of the most well-attended Mass days of the year. Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday. Outside of Christmas and Easter, more people come to Palm Sunday Mass than any other. Why? Because the Church is giving something away! Free palms for all! I hope that if we see people at Mass today that […]
Dying for Others
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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 […]
God Triumphs
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Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen Jesus get out of some jams. People want to stone Him, kill Him, arrest Him. Like in today’s Gospel reading from John 10. But each time He manages to elude them. In today’s first reading from Jeremiah 20, we read that God has “rescued the life of […]
Keeping 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 […]
Freedom
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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 […]
A Father’s Actions
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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 […]
Shining the Light of Christ
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Today’s first reading from Daniel 13 is such a cool story. It reads like a mystery thriller. Susanna is falsely accused of something she didn’t do by two dirty old men. Daniel comes to the rescue! Daniel exposes the dirty old men’s lies and justice is brought to bear. Don’t pass this one up! In […]
Showing Mercy
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In today’s Gospel passage from John 8, we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees bring the woman before Jesus, telling Him that the law says that she must be stoned. They ask Jesus, “What do you say?” And Jesus answers with that most famous reply. “Let he who […]
Showing Mercy
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In today’s Gospel passage from John 8, we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees bring the woman before Jesus, telling Him that the law says that she must be stoned. They ask Jesus, “What do you say?” And Jesus answers with that most famous reply. “Let he who […]
Hearing Jesus Anew
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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 […]
Doing the Right Thing
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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, […]
Seeking Approval
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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 the Father’s Will
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“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” This is a question we see in our first reading today from Isaiah 49. It would seem a ridiculous question. The bond between mother and child is strong. But not nearly as strong between you and God. After this question, […]
Seeking the Father’s Will
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“Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb?” This is a question we see in our first reading today from Isaiah 49. It would seem a ridiculous question. The bond between mother and child is strong. But not nearly as strong between you and God. After this question, […]
A Rhetorical Question?
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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 […]
Interceding
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Ever wonder what things will be like after Jesus returns. That is, after all, a basic tenet of our faith; that Christ will come again. Well, wonder no more! The prophet Isaiah gives us a beautiful picture of “the new heavens and the new earth.” Check it out…”There shall always be rejoicing and happiness…No longer […]
Ambassadors for Christ
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The Gospel reading for today is the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. I want to concentrate today on a phrase from our second reading from 2 Corinthians 5. St. Paul writes, “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us.” Ambassadors for Christ. What is the job of […]
The Trap of Pride
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Another beautiful reading from Hosea today for our first reading. Through the prophet, the Lord says, “For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” In our Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable with two very interesting characters; one a Pharisee and the other […]
Do You Get It?
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What a beautiful first reading we have today from Hosea 14. God tells the people, “Say to him, ‘We shall say no more, “Our god,” to the work of our hands.’ ” “I will heal their defection, says the Lord, I will love them freely.” In the Gospel passage from Mark 12, Jesus is asked […]
Faithfulness Has Disappeared
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 11 Jesus is accused by some people of driving out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus talks about what a ridiculous notion that is. He says, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house will fall against house.” He then goes on to say, […]
Teaching 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 […]
Forgive Once
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Today’s first reading from Daniel 3 contains one of the most beautiful and heartfelt prayers in all of Scripture. It is the prayer of Azariah, while he was in the fiery furnace. Take some time today to read it over; to pray the prayer with Azariah. I think you’ll be touched. In the Gospel reading […]
Putting Aside Our Pride
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Our first reading today is from 2 Kings 5. It is a story about a man named Naaman. Naaman was not a child of Israel. He was a commander in the army of Aram. He was a Syrian. In the Gospel reading today from Luke 4, Jesus recalls to the people that Naaman, a foreigner, […]
How to Perish
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Today and for the next few Sundays in Lent, the readings at the Mass you attend may be different from the readings I will reflect on. The reason is that if your parish has Catechumens and Candidates in RCIA, they will be undergoing scrutinies each Sunday leading up to Easter Vigil. For these scrutinies, the […]
Lost and Found
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What a beautiful first reading we have today from Michah 7. The prophet says, “You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.” When we confess our sins and receive absolution, God does just that. He wipes the slate clean; He casts all our sins into His ocean of mercy. The Gospel […]
Producing Fruit for the Kingdom
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Today’s first reading from Genesis 37 is the story of Joseph being sold out by his brothers. The brothers were jealous of him because he was the favored son of Israel, their father. Originally the plan was to kill him. But one of the brothers had a fit of conscience and nixed that plan. So […]
Where Your Trust Is
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So much is said in the opening verses of today’s first reading from Jeremiah 17. “Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD.” […]
The Fate of a Prophet
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I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression “No good deed goes unpunished.” Ain’t it the truth? Just take a look at the Scriptures. The prophets of old were simply doing what they were told by God to do. It didn’t end well for them. Jeremiah questions God about this in our first reading today from […]
Preaching by Practicing
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God is always ready to make things right. We are the ones who mess up, who walk away from God. Yet God is always waiting to welcome us back with open arms. Here is what the Lord says in the first reading today from Isaiah 1: “Come now, let us set things right, says the […]
Judging
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In today’s first reading from the Book of Daniel, Daniel confesses to God on behalf of the people. “We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and departed from your commandments and your laws.” Sound familiar? But wait…there’s more. Some good news. As Daniel says, “But yours, O Lord, our God, are […]
Listen to Him
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In the first reading today we see God making a covenant with Abram. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 27 – The Lord is my light and my salvation. In the second reading from Philippians 3, St. Paul reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven.” The Gospel reading for the second Sunday of Lent […]
Perfection and Mercy
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I’m always struck by one of the verses in today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 26. “And today the Lord is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own.” I love that phrase, “peculiarly his own.” Have you ever thought of yourself that way? As “peculiarly his own?” If not, […]
St. Peter’s Chair
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Some might look at that and say, “Boy, you Catholics are really strange! Imagine celebrating a piece of furniture!” That’s not what the feast day is about. Today we celebrate the office of the Papacy. Peter was the first Pope, the Vicar of […]
Ask
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The theme of today’s readings is asking. The first reading is from the Book of Esther. The story of Esther is a wonderful story and I highly encourage you to read it. (Note: it’s not very long…an easy read!) Today we read the beautiful prayer of Esther as she comes to the Lord ASKING for […]
Repenting
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We have two interesting readings today that complement each other. Our first reading is from Johah 3. Jonah stops running from the Lord and finally sets out for the great city of Nineveh. He goes and preaches repentance. The people heed the words of the prophet; they repent. The king proclaims a fast, and God […]
The Lost Verse
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God’s word is powerful and, hopefully, effective. The first reading today from Isaiah 55 tells us that the word of God goes out to achieve God’s will. Is that the case in your life? Are you regularly reading from Sacred Scripture? And if you are, is it changing you? Anyone can read words on a […]