Jesus’ Strength and Our Weakness
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More from the opening of St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians today for our first reading. St. Paul gives the Colossians some good news. “He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Isn’t it comforting to […]
Sharing Jesus
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Today we begin a trip through St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians. As in many of his letters, St. Paul begins with an affirmation. He tells them of his prayers for them, and applauds them for their love and faithfulness. I can only hope that, if St. Paul were writing a letter to us today, […]
What is There About His Word?
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In last week’s Gospel readings from Matthew 24 and 25, we heard Jesus again and again exhorting his disciples to stay awake and be prepared for the return of the Master. In today’s first reading from 1 Thessalonians 5, we hear nearly the exact same language from St. Paul. “But you are not in darkness, […]
The Martyrdom of John the Baptist
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Today the Church celebrates the Martyrdom of John the Baptist. The Gospel reading is from Mark 6, the account of why and how John the Baptist was beheaded. It is a sad and grisly story, but one that we can learn much from. I encourage you to read it. Herod is something of a tragic […]
Transformation and Discernment
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Today’s second reading is just two short verses from Romans 12. But what power is packed into those two verses! Paul tells us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. He then says that we should be transformed by the renewal of our mind, so that we can discern God’s will for […]
Using Our Talents
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In the Gospel from Matthew 25, Jesus tells the story of a man going on a trip and giving his servants some talents (money). When the master returns, he wants an accounting of what each one did with his talents. I think it is interesting that these coins were called talents. Because we have the […]
Called to Holiness
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about ten virgins who are awaiting a wedding feast. Five of them were foolish, five of them were wise. The foolish ones did not bring enough oil for their lamps and when the bridegroom was delayed, they ran out of oil and did […]
Awake and Prepared
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In the first reading today from 1 Thessalonians 3, St. Paul includes a beautiful prayer for his readers. “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and […]
St. Bartholomew
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Bartholomew. Bartholomew is listed among the Twelve. He was brought to Jesus by the Apostle Philip. Tradition tells us that he preached the Gospel in India, where he was rewarded with the crown of martyrdom. The first reading today is from Revelation 21, where we get a […]
Club Hypocrite
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St. Paul was all about making sure he pleased God. He did not want to be beholden to anyone but God. And he makes that clear in today’s first reading from 1 Thessalonians. “…that is how we speak, not as trying to please men, but rather God.” Why was this? To make sure that he […]
Not in Word Alone
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 23, Jesus pronounces “woes” on the scribes and Pharisees. Seems they were leading people astray. He refers to them as “blind guides.” Jesus had many strong words for the religious leaders of the time. They had a great responsibility, and they were falling woefully short. This always reminds […]
The Keys to the Kingdom
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Today is one of those days when I wish this could be a 60 minute reflection, instead of 60 seconds. The readings are soooo rich! In the Gospel, we see the famous exchange between Jesus and Peter from Matthew 16. “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church…I will give you […]
Being Humbled
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Today in the first reading, we see the rest of the story of Ruth. After accompanying Naomi, she met Boaz, a prominent man of Bethlehem. They married and had children, one of whom was Obed, the grandfather of King David. Ruth is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew, even though […]
The Example of Ruth
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The Book of Ruth is one of the shorter books in the Bible. In today’s first reading, we meet Ruth. Ruth was King David’s great-grandmother. But the story of how that came to be is fascinating, and we see the beginning of it today. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus is asked which […]
A Change of Clothes
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Today’s first reading from Judges 11 may be hard for us to understand, and even harder for us to accept. Jephthah makes a vow to the Lord. If the Lord gave him victory in battle, Jephthah promises to give as a burnt offering to the Lord whoever came out of the door to his house […]
The Time is Now!
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There are plenty of shifty characters in the Scriptures. We see one of them today in the person of Abimelech, in our first reading from Judges 9. He killed all of his brothers, save one, so that he would be made king. The one brother who manages to escape, Jotham, goes to the top of […]
All Things are Possible
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In the first reading today, we meet Gideon. Be honest now…you thought he was just a guy who dropped Bibles off in hotel rooms, right? Actually, Gideon is one of the mightiest warrior/champions in all of Scripture. Today Gideon meets up with the angel of the Lord. He asks for a sign, and recieves one. […]
Mary’s Assumption
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.It is a Holy Day of Obligation. This is one of those days that is greatly misunderstood by many. So let’s talk about it, and hopefully clear up some misconceptions that some people may have. First of all, Catholics believe that Mary […]
God is Calling
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Though I typically like to do an overview of the Scriptures, today I want to concentrate on one sentence in our second reading. This passage from Romans 11 has always had a great deal of meaning to me. St. Paul writes, “For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” I love that word […]
As For Me and My House…
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We have a very short Gospel reading today. But as always, it is packed. Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” This is why Catholic baptize their infants. We “let them come to Christ” from their earliest days. In […]
The Sacrament of Marriage
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In today’s first reading from Joshua 24, Joshua addresses the people, speaking for the Lord God. He reminds them of all the things that Lord had done for them and for their ancestors; mighty deeds that they could not take credit for. God was reminding them that it was He who had given them everything […]
Willing To Forgive
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Remember the story of Moses and the parting of the Red Sea? In today’s first reading from Joshua 3, we see a very similar story. Joshua was Moses’ successor, chosen by God to lead the people into the promised land across the Jordan river. The Jordan was a big, wide, powerful river. But God makes […]
Serving
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Lawrence. St. Lawrence was a deacon and a martyr. Our prayers go out today and every day to all the faithful deacons of the Church, through the intercession of St. Lawrence. Thank you, deacons, for your service to God’s people! The first reading today is from 2 Corinthians […]
The Humility of Children
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In the first reading today from Deuteronomy 31, Moses delivers his farewell address. He has seen an awful lot in his 120 years. Now it is time for the children of Israel to go into the promised land. But Moses will not be going with them. So he tells them, “It is the Lord who […]
For Your Own Good
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Our Gospel reading today recounts what I think may be Jesus’ coolest miracle. (I know, I know…I shouldn’t “grade” the miracles of our Lord. But this one is very cool!) The collectors of the temple tax want to get what’s coming to them from Jesus. So Jesus tells Peter to go out and catch a […]
The Whisper of God
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Today’s Gospel is from Matthew 14. It is one that we just recently talked about, when Peter jumps out of the boat and walks on the water…for a moment. This is one of those interesting times when the daily and Sunday Gospel readings are often the same. So let’s talk about today’s first reading from […]
Feast of the Transfiguration
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration. In the first reading, we see the origin of the title “Son of Man” from Daniel 7. It is a kind of prefiguration of the Transfiguration. In the second reading, St. Peter recounts the event as an eyewitness. And the Gospel is from Matthew 17, the story […]
Soulful Business Decisions
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“This is why you must now know…that the Lord is God…and that there is no other.” These words Moses speaks to the children of Israel in today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 4. He goes on, “You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you […]
A Quick Turnabout
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In the first reading today from Numbers 20, Moses and Aaron get some bad news. Because they were unfaithful to God, they would not lead the people into the Promised Land. This must have been a tough blow for the two men who had led the children of Israel for so many years. But as […]
The Price of Disobedience
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In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 15, we see an amazing example of perseverance in prayer, and the unselfishness of a mother. A Canaanite woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This “disqualified” the woman and her daughter. But […]
Seeking Fame
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In the first reading today from Numbers 12, we see God punishing two people for being prideful. More in a moment. In our Gospel reading from Matthew 15, Jesus tells the crowds, “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.” A […]
Why Did You Doubt?
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Today’s readings can be hard to read. In the first reading, Moses expresses the pain that can come with service and leadership. The people are grumbling again. And Moses feels the burden of leading them. So much so that he asks the Lord to just take his life. “I cannot carry all this people by […]
Showing Love Through Food
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Family meals can be a very special time. In many cultures, love is shared through meals. While the food may seem to be the centerpiece of the gathering, it really isn’t. The love that family members share is the reason for the gathering. As family members, we show our love by feeding one another. This […]
A Year of Jubilee
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In today’s first reading from Leviticus 25, we read about the jubilee. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 14, we read the story of the beheading of John the Baptist. John wasn’t afraid to tell even the king that he was doing wrong. Unfortunately, it cost him his head. […]
Balancing Doing and Being
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Martha. As per ususal, there are options for the readings. The options for a Gospel reading are from John 11 or Luke 10. In these two readings, we see two different sides of Martha. In John, Martha is filled with faith, and even echoes the words of St. […]
Good and Bad Together
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In the first reading today from Exodus 40, we read about the Dwelling. Notice the capital “D” in the word. This was the place in the Israelite camp where God stayed. We read about how the children of Israel scheduled their travels around the comings and goings of God in the Dwelling. Today’s Gospel reading […]
Radiating God
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We all encounter God in one way or another. Moses’ encounters with God were different from all others. He spoke to God face to face. Though Moses wasn’t aware of it, these encounters with God actually changed his physical appearance. We see in today’s first reading from Exodus 34 that the skin of his face […]
Being Wheat
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In the first reading today from Exodus 33 and 34, we see this very special relationship that Moses had with God. No one before, nor anyone after, until Jesus, had this kind of relationship. “The Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one man speaks to another.” Imagine that! Moses actually looked […]
Feast of St. James
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James. This James is the son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John the Apostle. Our first reading is from 2 Corinthians 4. I hope you’ll take the time to read it. It is beautiful. The Gospel reading is from Matthew 20, where the mother of James […]
What Are You Willing to Give?
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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. Though often times his messages were hidden, Jesus always used examples that his listeners would relate to. Today he talks about finding things that would make us rich beyond our wildest dreams. A treasure […]
Wheat or Weed?
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Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 13 is the parable of the weeds and the wheat. A bad guy comes and sows weed seeds into a man’s wheat field. When the servants find out, they ask the master if they should pull the weeds. The master says that they will be separated at harvest time. Jesus […]
A New Creation
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Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. There are different options for the first reading. The reading for Friday in the Sixteenth Week of Ordinary Time is from Exodus 20; the Ten Commandments. In an optional reading for the feast day from 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, St. Paul writes, “So whoever is in Christ is […]
Do You Get It?
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What would it be like to see God? Not to see the image of God in the poor or the majesty of God in a mountain, but to actually SEE God. I’m guessing it would be a pretty frightening thing. It sure was for the children of Israel. In today’s first reading from Exodus 19, […]
(The First) Bread from Heaven
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Bread from heaven. When most people hear that phrase, they probably think of Jesus. And rightfully so. But in today’s first reading from Exodus 16, we once again experience typology. We see a foreshadowing of Jesus. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower of seeds. Time for a […]
All in the Family
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The first reading today is the story of the parting of the Red Sea. The Israelites walk across the Red Sea on dry land. The Egyptian army is in hot pursuit. When they get into the middle of the Sea, God puts the water back where it belongs. They all drown. This is a miracle […]
Overcoming Obstacles
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In the first reading today from Exodus 14, we see the beginning of the story of the parting of the Red Sea. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 12, some scribes and Pharisees come to Jesus and say, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” Here we […]
Parables
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In today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus telling numerous parables. The first is the parable of the weeds in the field. He then tells the parable of the mustard seed, and of a woman who mixes yeast with flour. Why did Jesus speak in parables? It tells us in today’s Gospel. To get the answer, […]
Make Jesus Known
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In our reading from Exodus 12 today, God tells the children of Israel that the night of the Passover will be a “vigil for the Lord throughout their generations.” And so it remains to this very day. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 12, Jesus cures many people. But He “warned them not to make […]
More Than Meets the Eye
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Pharaoh was a stubborn chap. Despite numerous plagues that had been visited on his people, he still would not let the Israelites leave. So God had to come up with the granddaddy of all plagues. He would strike all the firstborn sons dead. In today’s first reading from Exodus 11 and 12, we read about […]
I AM
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In the first reading today from Exodus 3, we read more of the interaction between God and Moses when God reveals Himself in the burning bush. Our Gospel reading is a familiar one from Matthew 11. Take it to heart and you will find rest in Jesus. When God told Moses to go and speak […]