Stay Awake!
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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 […]
The No-God Rut
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Today is the last day of the Church year. Tomorrow begins a brand new liturgical year with the season of Advent. In the first reading from the end of the book of Revelation, we see this final beautiful view of heaven. “Night will be no more, nor will they need light from lamp or sun, […]
Words to Live By
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In Revelation 20, St. John gives us a glimpse of the final judgement. Hopefully, reading these words can give us a new perspective on the importance of how we live our lives. “All the dead were judged according to their deeds.” John also sees a “new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and […]
Thanksgiving
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Today in the U.S., the Church gives some options for readings for Thanksgiving Day. One of these options is Sirach 50:22-24. It is such a beautiful reading. I thought I would share it with you today. And now, bless the God of all, who has done wondrous things on earth; Who fosters men’s growth from […]
Eternal Hairdos
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Another heavenly vision from St. John in Revelation 15 for today’s first reading. St. John sees those who had won the victory over the beast singing “the song of Moses…the song of the Lamb.” It is a beautiful song. See for yourself! In today’s Gospel passage from Luke 21, Jesus talks about some of the […]
Signs Within
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We get a couple of very apocalyptic readings today. In Revelation 14, we see one “like a son of man” reaping his harvest on the earth. But it’s good news-bad news. The first harvest is good. The second harvest gets thrown into “the great wine press of God’s fury.” Which harvest will you be in? […]
Stretching by Giving
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Our first reading today is from Revelation 14. Here we see the hundred and forty-four thousand “who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” This number, by the way, is symbolic. It means a great multitude. Some (like the Jehova’s Witnesses) take this number to be literal and say that that […]
The Kingship of Christ
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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 […]
Can't Fool Jesus
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Much of the imagery found in Revelation is taken from other places in Scripture. Case in point is today’s first reading. John sees two witnesses: two olive trees. This same imagery is found in Zechariah 4. There are other allusions in these passages, too. And at the end of the reading, we see the two […]
Sweet and Sour
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 19, we see Jesus cleansing the temple area of those who are selling things. He says, “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.” We then read that “every day He was teaching in the temple […]
What Makes for Peace
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In the first reading today from Revelation 5, we see a striking figure in John’s vision of heaven. An angel asks the question, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And then we see Him. “A Lamb that seemed to have been slain.” The next time you’re at Mass and the […]
Investing in Eternity
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In the first reading today from Revelation 4, we see in John’s vision of heaven some very strange looking creatures. These are the passages in Revelation that sometimes throw people for a loop. But don’t let that happen to you. Theologians and great saints down through the ages have exegeted these passages (St. Jerome and […]
Letter From a Young Catholic Man on Modesty
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For all the mothers of girls of any age out there:  Three of my four sisters recently attended  a talk billed as being on the subject of modesty and I was thinking what a great opportunity for lots of girls to hear about how important modesty is in the world today. Unfortunately, the talk ended up […]
Lukewarm? Look Out!
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Our Gospel reading today is the story of Zacchaeus from Luke 19. It is a great story of repentance and redemption. In the first reading today from Revelation 3, we hear Jesus addressing the Churches of Sardis and Laodicea. His words to the Church of Laodicea are a stark reminder to all. “I know your […]
Forward in Love
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In the first reading today, we begin reading from the Book of Revelation. This can be one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted books in the Bible. Nothing a bit of study and reading won’t cure! In the Gospel reading today from Luke 18, Jesus gives a blind man his sight. In Revelation 2, John […]
Testimony To and From Jesus
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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.” […]
Teenage Persistence in Prayer
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In today’s first reading from 3 John, St. John encourages the faithful to help and support those who do missionary work in the Church. 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 […]
Losing = Saving
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Our first reading today is from 2 John. This is the shortest book in the Bible, just 13 verses. But what a power-packed 13 verses! St. John writes, “For this is love, that we walk according to his commandments.” He then talks about those who would lead people astray. “Anyone who is so ‘progressive’ as […]
Drain Me of Me
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Father, I am so full of myself. I know that if I truly wish to serve you, If I truly wish to share your word and your love, This must not be the way. And so today, Father, I ask you: Drain me of me Of all the self-inflated ego Drain me Of all the […]
The Kingdom of God Among You
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Today’s first reading is taken from St. Paul’s letter to Philemon. Here Paul urges his old friend to welcome back his slave, Onesimus. Onesimus had been travelling with and assisting Paul, and Paul had become very fond of him. In fact, he refers to Onesimus as “my child, whose father I have become in my […]
The Ten Percenters
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What a great first reading today from Titus 3. St. Paul reminds us that we are saved “through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” An obvious reference to our baptism. In the Gospel reading from Luke 17, Jesus heals ten lepers. Of the ten healed, only one bothered to come back […]
Zeal for God's House
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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 […]
Kindle as Evangelization Tool
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While on the way back to Tampa, I discovered a new evangelization tool: my Amazon Kindle! Just by reading my Kindle, I managed to strike up a few conversations with some super nice people who were just curious about my Kindle. The first was a woman at the airport in St. Louis. She sat next […]
Causing Sin
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In today’s first reading from Titus 1, St. Paul talks about the attributes of a bishop. “Blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be […]
Not God of the Dead
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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 resurrection, […]
Who (or what) Will You Serve?
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St. Paul went through a lot in his life. Early on, he had it all. He was well off, well educated, well liked. But later he was beaten, thrown in prison and eventually martyred. In today’s first reading, he tells the secret of getting along in both situations. Read Philippians 4:13 for the answer. In […]
Win-Win for God
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In today’s first reading from Philippians 3, St. Paul speaks of people whose “God is their stomach; their glory is in their ‘shame’.” Funny, isn’t it, how some things never change? So many today glorify sin and sinful behavior to the point where they glory in it; it becomes their “God.” The parable in today’s […]
God's Odds
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In the first reading today from Philippians 3, St. Paul says that if anyone had a right to boast because of his pedigree, it was him. But all of his upbringing and righteousness meant nothing. “But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ.” In the Gospel reading […]
Hating Your Family
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In the first reading today from Philippians 2, St. Paul says to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” He then goes on to say, “Do everything without grumbling or questioning.” In other words, St. Paul expects Christians to be positive people! Not always easy, but when we do, we will “shine like lights […]
Prayer for the Dead
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Today we celebrate All Souls Day. On this feast (and throughout the month of November) we pray for the souls of the faithful departed. To many non-Catholic Christians, this seems extraneous. After all, if someone is in heaven, they have no need of our prayers. And if someone is in hell, then our prayers would […]
All Saints Day
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Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. For the past 17 years, whenever this day falls on a weekday, I have a tradition of calling everyone with whom I speak on that day as St. (Your Name). It’s really a lot of fun! Why not try it today? Everyone you talk with today, call […]
Zacchaeus
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The character in today’s Gospel passage from Luke 19 is a favorite of kids the world over. Every time I read this story, I can hear the little song in my head that we used to sing to our children. “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he. He climbed up […]
Seeking the Lowest Place
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In the first reading from Philippians 1, St. Paul struggles with whether he would rather stick around on earth or go home to be with the Lord. Not a true death wish, but recognizing that the life to come will be eternity with Christ. But Paul realizes that he has a mission on earth to complete.  In […]
He Completes
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 14, we see another instance of Jesus healing someone on the sabbath. He then asks the scholars of the law and the Pharisees, “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” They never answered His […]
Hopeless Cause?
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Today is the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. Typically I do your :60 on the daily Scripture readings. But I want to veer from the format today. The readings are the same as the feast days of other Apostles; Ephesians 2:19-22, which I recently wrote about, and Luke 6:12-16, which is the listing […]
The Gate to Heaven
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In today’s first reading from Ephesians 6, St. Paul talks about relationships. Relationships between parents and children, slaves and masters, God and us. He tells us that with God there is no partiality. He loves us all! In the Gospel reading, someone asks Jesus, “Will only a few be saved?” Jesus responds, “Strive to enter […]
Husbands and Wives
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus tells two short parables about the Kingdom of God. The first compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed, the other to yeast. Our first reading today from Ephesians 5 is one of the most misunderstood passages in all of the New Testament. The longer version is Ephesians […]
Imitators of God
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 13, Jesus heals a woman who has been crippled for eighteen years. He does this on the sabbath. This infuriates the leader of the synagogue where this healing took place. He chastised Jesus and the woman. Jesus’ retort humiliates the man and all of Jesus’ adversaries. Read what […]
The Danger of Pride
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable about two people praying in the temple. A Pharisee thanks God that he is not like all the low-lifes out there, including a tax collector who is with him in the temple. “I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole […]
Don't Give Up on Them
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In our first reading today from Ephesians 4, St. Paul talks about how grace has been given to each of us in different ways. He then goes on to explain some different ministries in the Body of Christ. In the Gospel reading today from Luke 13, Jesus tells an interesting parable. A landowner has a […]
Interpreting the Times
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In our first reading today from Ephesians 4, St. Paul urges his readers to “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love.” I love this passage of Scripture because it first assumes that we have received a call. It […]
On Fire for Jesus
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Our first reading today from Ephesians 3 is, in essence, a prayer. St. Paul prays that the Father “may grant you…to be strengthened with power through his Spirit…and that Christ may dwell in your hearts…that you…may know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” Be sure to read St. Paul’s beautiful prayer for you! I […]
Pro-Lifer Runs Graphic TV Spots
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Here is the other TV spot that Missy Smith is running in her race for Congress. WARNING: THIS SPOT CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES Â
Entrusted with Much
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In today’s first reading from Ephesians 3, St. Paul talks about the gifts that God has given him, and his responsibility to use them properly. This is a theme that will come up in the Gospel reading today. St. Paul also tells us about a couple of gifts that God has given to us…”we have […]
Vigilant
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There is a word used in the first reading today from Ephesians 2 four times. That word is peace. “For he (Christ Jesus) is our peace.” “…Thus establishing peace…” “He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near…” You think St. Paul is trying to get […]
St. Luke
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke. St. Luke is the author of two books of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles. In fact, Acts may be considered a “sequel” to Luke’s Gospel, as that story picks up right where Luke ends. St. Luke is the only […]
Spiritual Telemarketers
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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 fair ruling. Because of her persistence, he finally does so. We need to pray like telemarketers. What do I mean by that? […]
Open to the Spirit
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus speaks of the importance of standing up for him. “I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.” Something else Jesus says reminds me of something that I have really been working on in my life […]
A Good Cry
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When’s the last time you had a good cry? For me, it was towards the end of my silent retreat. I’ve shared before that I tend to be a pretty emotional guy. I like to say that I’m such a softie that I cry at toilet paper commercials on TV. While that may be a […]
God Notices You
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Why are we here? I mean, why do we exist? Is it to accumulate stuff? To, as Spock would say, live long and prosper? Perhaps it is only to serve our fellow man. Even though that is a noble thing, it is not the right answer. What is? St. Paul tells us in today’s first […]