On Work
Posted on
Happy Labor Day! I hope you are taking a day of R&R today. Instead of reflection on today's Scriptures, I'd like to offer a brief Labor Day meditation. First, there is...
Of Lips and Hearts
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Mark 7, Jesus has some harsh words for the Pharisees. He says of them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, hypocrites, as it is written:...
Shame
Posted on
You have been given great gifts and talents. You need to use them to build up the Kingdom of God. This is a lesson we get from today’s Gospel reading...
A Happy Fool
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 25, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins - five were wise and five were foolish. It's a story about being prepared for...
No Watering Down the Truth
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Passion of St. John the Baptist. In the past it has been called the beheading of and the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. The Gospel...
A Poser
Posted on
St. Paul led by example. He alludes to that in our first reading today from 2 Thessalonians 3. While he could have insisted that the believers take care of his needs...
Standing with Tradition
Posted on
In today's first reading from 2 Thessalonians 2, St. Paul says, "Stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by...
Woe to You, Hypocrite
Posted on
St. Paul was big on prayer and thanksgiving. We see this today in our first reading from 2 Thessalonians 1. “We ought to thank God always for you, brothers and...
Never Walk Away!
Posted on
1 comment
In the Gospel reading today, we finish up in John 6. After Jesus talked about eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood, many of the people were upset. They figured...
St. Bartholomew
Posted on
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...
Dry Bones
Posted on
The toe bone connected to the foot bone. The foot bone connected to the ankle bone. Ever heard of dem bry bones? (It’s an old spiritual tune.) That song was...
From Stone to Flesh
Posted on
In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 36, God tells the people that He is going to take some corrective measures. We also hear the renewal of the covenant…”You shall be...
God's Justice
Posted on
Today’s first reading is one that should be required daily reading for priests and bishops. Through Ezekiel, God talks about some not-so-good shepherds. He is not pleased; and when He...
Of Camels and Needles
Posted on
In the first reading today, we hear about the dangers of accumulating wealth. Now, being wealthy is not of itself a bad thing. It is what can happen spiritually that becomes...
What Do I Still Lack?
Posted on
We have a very sad first reading today from Ezekiel 24. The LORD tells Ezekiel that he is going to take away the delight of your eyes, and that Ezekiel...
Not a Symbol
Posted on
Today’s Gospel reading is John 6:51-58. While much of the Bread of Life discourse up to now has sounded somewhat metaphoric, Jesus gets to the meat of the matter today....
Return and Live!
Posted on
Jesus had a heart for children. Take a look at today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 19. He says, “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for...
All That (And a Bag of Chips)
Posted on
1 comment
Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 19 is Jesus' teaching on marriage. It was difficult to hear then, and is still difficult for so many to hear today. In our first...
Mary's Assumption
Posted on
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...
Jesus in Our Midst
Posted on
In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 9 an d 10, we see a scene reminiscent of the Passover. God has the faithful marked with a sign. Only they will be...
The Sweetness of God's Word
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 18, Jesus asks a question about a man who has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray. Jesus says, “Will he...
You're Free to Give
Posted on
For the first reading today we begin a journey through the Book of Ezekiel. This book is filled with what we may view as strange visions and events in the...
Strengthened by that Food
Posted on
In today's first reading from 1 Kings 19, Elijah journeys into the desert. He doesn't want to continue on, to the point of asking God for death. So God sends...
The Good Deacon
Posted on
1 comment
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...
Your Conduct Counts
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 16, we hear Jesus telling His disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me." I...
Being an Obstacle to God
Posted on
In today's first reading from Jeremiah 31, we read about the covenant that God will make with his people. Our Gospel reading today is from Matthew 16. It is Peter’s...
Wait for the Lord
Posted on
In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 15, we see a model of persistence. A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal her daughter. Jesus ignores her. After...
Become What You Behold
Posted on
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...
A False Prophet
Posted on
In the first reading today from Jeremiah 28, we see a new prophet on the scene, Hananiah. Or do we? Hananiah makes a prophesy, but it turns out that he...
Give us this Bread Always
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading, we begin the Bread of Life discourse from John 6. We'll continue reading it for the next three Sundays. Jesus says, "For the bread of God...
Innocent Blood
Posted on
More prophet talk for us today. In the first reading, the priests and prophets want Jeremiah put to death. But Jeremiah tells them, “If you put me to death, it...
Rejection
Posted on
1 comment
In both of our readings today, we see and hear that prophets get rejected. In Jeremiah 26, our first reading, we see Jeremiah saying everything that God tells him to say....
In the Hands of the Potter
Posted on
5 comments
Today we see what I hope is a familiar story in Jeremiah 18. Though you may not know the chapter and verse, it is the story of Jeremiah going to...
What is Heaven Worth?
Posted on
In Jeremiah 15 today, God speaks of the need for repentance. “Thus the Lord answered me: If you repent, so that I restore you, in my presence you shall stand.”...
Whose Child are You?
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 13, Jesus explains the parable of the wheat and the weeds, where someone comes and sows weed seeds in a wheat field. For context,...
Jesus' Friends
Posted on
Today is the Feast of Saints Mary, Martha and Lazarus. There are two optional Gospel readings that center on this family. One is from John 20, a conversation between Jesus...
Fed by the Lord
Posted on
1 comment
In today’s readings, we see the theme of God feeding His people. In the first reading from 2 Kings 4, a man gives the prophet Elisha twenty barley loaves. Elisha...
Deceitful Words
Posted on
In today's first reading from Jeremiah 7, the LORD speaks of trust. "Put not your trust in the deceitful words..." and "But here you are, putting your trust in deceitful...
A Great Story Teller
Posted on
Happy Grandparents' Day! I say that because today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne. Tradition tells us they were the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary...
Our Pilgrim Journey
Posted on
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James. This James is the son of Zebedee and the brother of St. John the Apostle. He is often known as James “The...
But Lord, I'm too Young (or Old or...)
Posted on
Today in the first reading, we begin a journey through the book of the prophet Jeremiah. At the opening of the book, we read about the call of Jeremiah. Our...
The Ocean of Mercy
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 12, Jesus is told that his mother and his brothers are outside the house wanting to speak to Him. Jesus says, “Whoever does...
A Woman who Loved Jesus
Posted on
Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. There are different options for the first reading, so I’ll let you read them and mull them over yourself. You can choose...
The Lord is my Shepherd
Posted on
Sheep and shepherds pop up throughout the readings today. In the first reading from Jeremiah 23, the Lord says, "Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my...
Evil Plans = Destruction
Posted on
In our first reading today from Micah 2, we see once again what God has planned for those who plan iniquity. The Responsorial Psalm mirrors this. In our Gospel reading,...
Prayer and Healing
Posted on
Studies have shown that people who pray generally are happier and tend to live longer. Those are nice byproducts of prayer, but not why we pray. We pray because Jesus told...
Meek and Humble
Posted on
In today’s first reading from Isaiah 26, the prophet talks about how physical death is not the end for us. In fact, he talks about the resurrection of the dead....
It's Really God
Posted on
Assyria was a powerful nation. They ran roughshod over anyone and everyone they wanted to. In today's first reading from Isaiah 10, we see that they had a bit of...
Unless Your Faith is Firm
Posted on
In today's first reading from Isaiah 7, Ahaz, king of Judah, is told by the Lord through Isaiah that the attack on Judah would not be successful; the Lord would...
Cease Doing Evil
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus continues His words to the Apostles as He sends them out. He talks about He would be (and still is) a source...