Another Chance
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 13, Jesus tells an interesting parable. A landowner has a fig tree that has borne no fruit after three years. He orders it...
Living the Call
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Today’s first reading is from Ephesians 4:1-6. You may notice that these six verses are all one sentence. St. Paul is famous for his run-on sentences. It can sometimes be...
Fired Up!
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus says, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” Of course, Jesus isn’t...
Your Responsibility
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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...
No Longer Strangers
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We’re back in Ephesians 2 for our first reading today. St. Paul addresses the people as “you who once were far off,” and “you who were far off.” Notice that...
Rich in What Matters
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In our Gospel reading today, Jesus has an encounter with a man which prompts Him to warn the gathered crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one...
Living By Serving
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Our Gospel reading today from Mark 10 features an interesting story. The sons of Zebedee, James and John, come and ask Jesus that “in your glory we may sit one...
Denial
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In the first reading today from Ephesians 1:15-23, St. Paul prays that “the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to...
Why You're Here
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Do you know why you're here? Yes, it's one of those existential questions. But I believe we find the answer in today's first reading from Ephesians 1. "In Christ we...
Saint 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....
The Fruit of the Spirit
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Jesus was never one to mince words. We see this again today in the Gospel reading from Luke 11, where He is pronouncing woes on the Pharisees. When a scholar...
External vs. Internal
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God doesn’t care about anyone’s background. You don’t have to have any kind of “pedigree” to give your life to Christ. St. Paul puts it like this in today’s first...
Christ Sets Us Free
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus says, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of...
Then Who Can be Saved?
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In our first reading today, we read about prudence and wisdom. These are certainly two things that I wish I had in greater abundance. How can that happen? Check out...
Blessings for All
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We hear more about justification and faith in today’s first reading from Galatians 3. “For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.” Good news, no? We...
Faith
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In the first reading today from Galatians 3, the word "faith" is used seven times (in just eight verses). St. Paul writes, "Christ ransomed us from the curse of the...
Ask, Seek, Knock
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How would you feel if someone called you stupid? Probably much like the Galatians felt when Paul called them that in his letter to them. Check it out in today's...
Our Daily Bread
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St. Paul was a man who always stood for the truth and wasn't afraid - of anything. In today's first reading from Galatians 2, he recounts how he challenged Peter...
The Better Part
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After his conversion, St. Paul did not immediately meet with the approval of the Apostles. In fact, he did not even meet with any of them for three years. We...
People Pleasers
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In the first reading today, we begin a journey through St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians. The Gospel reading from Luke 10 is a story that I hope is familiar...
God's Marriage Mistake?
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 10, Jesus quotes a passage from today's first reading from Genesis 2. “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to...
Blessed are We
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Today's first reading is the end of the story of Job. After having undergone more severe testing than anyone, Job never broke faith. And for that he was greatly rewarded,...
Two Rules in Life
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 10, we hear more of Jesus’ words to the seventy-two as He sends them out. “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever...
Prayer of St. Francis
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. So, rather than comment on the Scriptures, I’m going to go a bit out of format for today. If you’re...
Don't Look Back
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Do you converse with God? I hope so – and regularly. Have you ever questioned God? Job ponders that in today’s first reading from Job 9. In today’s Gospel reading...
Feast of The Holy Guardian Angels
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. In the optional first reading for the feast day from Exodus, we see God telling the people that he is sending...
Like Job
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For our first reading today, we’re in the first chapter of the book of Job, Job 1:6-22. Job is the most faith-filled man on the earth. In fact, the Lord...
Pluck It Out
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Scathing words to the rich today from James 5. Funny thing about wealth, isn’t it? We work so hard to accumulate it here on earth, to the point where it...
A War for Souls
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – the Archangels. We have two options for the first reading. The first, from Daniel 7, contains a vision...
An Appointed Time
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Today’s first reading is from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens.” If you’re a baby boomer like me,...
Nothing New
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In today's first reading from Ecclesiastes 1, the sacred author says, "Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!" He goes on to say, "What has been, that will be; what...
Two Things
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If you could ask God for just two things, what would they be? Solomon does just that today in our first reading from Proverbs 30. And in the Gospel from...
Active Christianity
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus' mother and brothers can't get near Him because of the crowds. When informed about this, Jesus replies, "My mother and my brothers...
No Secrets
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus said, "For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to...
The Greatest
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Jesus’ Twelve Apostles were all men. That means there was a lot of testosterone around. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 9, Jesus asks them what they were talking about...
The Resurrection of the Body
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1 Corinthians 15 is St. Paul’s treatise on the resurrection of the dead. More in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus tells the parable of the...
Hearing the Call
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Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew. His Jewish name was Levi. (We find that in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.) Matthew was a tax collector. Therefore, observant...
Much Forgiven = Much Love
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Popeye used to say, “I yam what I yam.” I wonder if he got that from St. Paul. He could have. In our first reading today from 1 Corinthians 15,...
Love Never Fails
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Our first reading today is 1 Corinthians 13. This is often referred to as “The Love Chapter.” If you’ve ever been to a wedding, chances are you have heard this...
Caring for the Widow and the Orphan
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An old song says, “Christ has no body now but yours.” In today’s first reading from 1 Corinthians 12, St. Paul talks about the Body of Christ; not in the...
Such Faith
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In today's first reading from 1 Corinthians 11, St. Paul recounts the words of Jesus at the Last Supper. Wait...St. Paul wasn't at the Last Supper. No, but he "received...
Help in Our Sorrows
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. How appropriate that this comes the day after the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Our first...
Your Cross is His Cross
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Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the first reading today from Numbers 21, we see a bit of typology. God told Moses to make...
The Really Hard Stuff
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, we continue to hear from Jesus' Sermon on the Plain. This is where Jesus begins saying things that probably sounded ridiculous to the...
Not as It Seems
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In 1 Corinthians 7 today, St. Paul warns his readers that “time is running out.” This world is passing away. He warns them to use what time is left fruitfully....
Inheriting the Kingdom of God
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 6, we see that Jesus spent the night in prayer. The next day, He called His disciples and told them that He had...
A Cleansing
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There is never a wrong time to do the right thing. This is one of the lessons we can get from today's Gospel reading from Luke 6, when Jesus heals...
Selective Hearing
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 7, a deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to Jesus for healing. Jesus restored his hearing and immediately his speech impediment was...
Happy Birthday, Mom!
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary…Mary’s birthday! Now, we don’t really know the exact day, date or year that Mary was born....
Judgment
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An important lesson about judgment today from St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 4. St. Paul doesn’t care a whit if people judge him. He is only concerned about how God...