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....
Dedicated
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The Gospel reading today is from Luke 1. It is Mary’s great Magnificat. “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he...
Fruit of the Womb
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As the Christmas story continues to unfold in the liturgy, today's Gospel reading is the story of the visitation, when Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth's greeting to Mary is...
God's Handmaid(s)
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During December, we see a few readings multiple times. Today’s Gospel reading is a case in point. In fact, it is the exact same Gospel reading we saw on the Feast...
Speechless
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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...
Dream Big!
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Today is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Christmas is just one week away! In today’s first reading, we see the prophesy from Isaiah 7: “Therefor the LORD himself will give...
Jesus' Family Line
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Well, it is one week before Christmas Eve. Can you believe it?? So beginning today in the Liturgy, we see the unfolding of the Christmas story. In the first reading...
God of All
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God is a God for all people. Jesus came to call Jew and Gentile, slave and free. Here's how it's put in today's first reading from Isaiah 56. Let not...
He Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!
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In our Gospel reading today from Luke 7, Jesus speaks of the role and importance of John the Baptist. “Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is...
There is No Other
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If you miss the message in today's first reading, you're not paying attention. The theme is reiterated five times. In the Gospel reading from Luke 7, John the Baptist has...
Lip Service Won't Cut It
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus tells a story of two sons, each of whom was told by their father to go out and work in the vineyard....
Our Loving 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,...
Go and Tell the World!
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 11, John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him if He (Jesus) is the one to come, or should they look...
Expect the Unexpected
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Today’s first reading is from the Book of Sirach. The author talks of Elijah, “whose words were as a flaming furnace.” Then in the Gospel reading from Matthew 17, the...
Simple But Not Easy
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Love always desires the good. God is love. Therefore, God always desires the good. He always wants what is best for us. He also knows that often what we want...
The Immaculate Conception
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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It is a Holy Day of obligation. Let’s talk briefly today about what the Immaculate Conception is, and isn’t. Probably the most common...
As With 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...
Fear Not to Cry Out!
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 18, Jesus talks about a man who has a hundred sheep and one goes astray. He leaves the ninety-nine behind to go in search...
The Faith of Friends
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I don’t know about you, but I so love the Advent readings from the Prophet Isaiah. They are filled with so much beauty and hope. “Then will the lame leap...
Prepare the Way
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Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 3, we read about the ministry of John the Baptist. He is the one about whom the prophet...
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...
What We're Blind To
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In the first reading today from Isaiah 29, the LORD GOD says, “On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of gloom and darkness,...
Built on Rock
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When you build a structure, a house or a building, it must have a firm foundation. Otherwise it may fall. The firmest of foundations is rock. This is the “golden...
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
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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...
Your Legacy
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In today's first reading from Isaiah 11, we hear a name that pops up every year during Advent and approaching Christmas: Jesse. We see it at the beginning and end...
Not Worthy
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In the Gospel today from Matthew 8, we see an encounter between Jesus and a centurion. The centurion tells Jesus about a servant of his who is suffering terribly. When...
The Day is at Hand
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Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year. Happy New Year! We begin the year (the season of Advent) by preparing for what is...
Pray for Strength
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Today is kind of New Year's Eve for Catholics. It is the end of the liturgical year. Tomorrow is the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical...
Alive in Our Hearts
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 13, Jesus says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” And so it has been. Seasons come and go....
Happy 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...
Wisdom 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,...
A Winning Formula
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In today’s readings, we get lots more end times stuff. In the Gospel reading from Luke 21, Jesus talks about things to look for near the end. Many of these...
New Good Morning Child of God! Gifts
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Ever since we started offering Good Morning Child of God! coffee mugs, people have been asking when we are going to get shirts and other apparel. Well, that time has...
Generosity and Trust
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In today’s first reading from Revelation 14, we see once again the figure of the Lamb. He has with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who have his name and...
The Perfect King
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Today the Church celebrates the end of the liturgical year. Fittingly enough, it is the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, or more commonly referred to...
Post-Resurrection Life
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In the Gospel from Luke 20, some Saducees, who don’t believe in the resurrection of the body, throw a trick question at Jesus about who a woman would be married...
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...
You Have Been Purchased
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Today's Gospel reading from Luke 19 is quite sad. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and prophesies about its destruction. In the first reading from Revelation 5, we see two interesting things...
Eternal Investing
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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...
A Spiritual Temperature Check
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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...
If I Could Truly See
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As we approach the end of the liturgical year, our first readings are from the Book of Revelation. Today we hear the Lord telling those who have "backslidden," "Repent, and...
Yet Another Paradox
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In today’s Gospel passage from Luke 21, Jesus talks about some of the fun things that his disciples could expect. Check it out…”They will seize and persecute you, they will...
Pestering God?
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus tells a parable about an unjust judge. A widow comes to him seeking a judgment, but he refuses. The widow, however, kept...
"Progressive"
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Is the Bible "political"? I suppose that depends on one's definition of the word and point of view. Perhaps the definition of a particular word in today's first reading from...
Diversionary Tactics
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 17, the Pharisees ask Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. What they didn’t realize was that they were standing in it. Jesus...
Zeal is Good
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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...
How to Live in a Godless World
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In today’s first reading from Titus 2, St. Paul has advice for everyone – older men, older women, younger women and younger men. Yep! I think that covers us all!...
Avoid the Millstone
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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...
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...
Choosing Whom to Serve
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus talks about how it is impossible to serve two masters. “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and...