The Sending
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 9-10, Jesus sends out the Twelve to preach, teach and heal. Did you know that at the end of every Mass, you are sent...
A Mother's Heart
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Yesterday was the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is appropriate that we celebrate the heart...
A Heart for You
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus speaks of His heart in the Gospel reading from Matthew 11: “Come to me, all you...
Blinded Minds
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Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 5 is Jesus' teaching on anger. If you're bearing a grudge against someone, you need to read this. But beware...it's a toughie! As Christians, we...
Your Qualification
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Some people think that the New Testament is far removed from the Old Testament, that Jesus came to do away with everything in the old law and replace it. Funny,...
Fill the World with Sonshine
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Ever get a word stuck in your head? Maybe a word or a phrase that you just can’t get out of your mind. Let me give you a suggestion for...
Encouragement
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Such a bounty of things to reflect on today! In the first reading, we begin a journey through 2 Corinthians. At the same time, our Gospel readings for the next...
The Real Presence
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of The Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi. All of the readings today point to the Eucharist, the source and summit of...
Touched by an Angel
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Generosity is all about trust – trusting in God to supply all our needs. We see one of the greatest stories ever about generosity in today’s Gospel reading from Mark...
A Great Day
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In today's first reading from Tobit 11, we read about Tobit being healed of his blindness. And in the Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus talks about how David referred...
The Nobility of Marriage
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Which is the greatest (first) of all the commandments? Jesus is asked that question in today's Gospel reading from Mark 12. Be sure to read His answer. In our first...
God Sends Help
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Today's Gospel reading from Mark 12 is an important one for Catholics to know to help explain the Communion of Saints. After speaking about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jesus says,...
Character Revealed
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In the first reading today from Tobit 2, we see Tobit go through some real hardship in his life. He loses his sight for four years. How would this effect...
Be Like Tobit
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Our first reading today is the beginning of the book of Tobit. This is one of those books that is found in the Catholic Bible, but not in a Protestant...
Trinity Sunday
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; three Persons, one God. We see this idea fleshed out at the end of the second reading from 2 Corinthians...
Seeking Wisdom
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 11, Jesus' authority is questioned. See how Jesus turns the tables on his interlocutors. The first reading is from Sirach 51. It centers on...
Leaving a Legacy
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Have you ever thought about your legacy – what you will leave behind when your days on earth are over? More on that in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading,...
A Short Prayer, Always at the Ready
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Our Gospel reading today from Mark 10 is about Bartimaeus, a blind beggar that wanted Jesus to restore his sight. He tells Jesus what he wants, and Jesus gives him...
Opening Our Hearts and Homes to Jesus and Mary
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Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We recall when Mary, who was pregnant with the Lord Jesus, went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth,...
WII FM
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The golden thread that runs through today’s readings could probably be summed up in this phrase: God will not be outdone in generosity. In the first reading from Sirach 35,...
Our Fallen Heroes
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I’m going to deviate a bit from our normal format today. I’ve still got the link for today’s readings at the bottom of this post. Today is the Feast of...
Pentecost
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Today we celebrate Pentecost. Happy Birthday, Church! Rather than give you my own reflection today, I want to share the sequence that you will hear at today’s Mass. (Why try...
Whataboutism
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In Acts 28 today, we see Paul continuing in his ministry, even while in custody. Oh, that we could all have the evangelistic spirit of St. Paul! In the Gospel...
Undoing Our Denials
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Today's Gospel reading from John 21 is, I think, one of the the most moving scenes in the New Testament. After the resurrection, Jesus and Simon Peter are on the beach....
Jesus' Prayer for Unity
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We call the “Our Father” The Lord’s Prayer. And rightly so, since it is the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. But down through the ages, theologians have also...
If You Were on Trial...
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The Gospel reading today is from John 17. It is part of Jesus’ lengthy soliloquy at the Last Supper. Speaking to the Father, Jesus says, “Consecrate them in the truth…I...
Finish Well
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What’s the greatest thing that we can achieve in life? To amass a fortune? Certainly not. To raise good kids? Be a good husband/wife/father/mother? To do lots of good works?...
Jesus Wins!
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In today’s first reading from Acts, Paul runs into a group of believers who have not yet received the Holy Spirit. In fact, they hadn’t even heard of a Holy...
In and Into the World
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Today will be a different liturgy for folks in different parts of the US. For most it will be the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. For others, it...
Answered Prayer
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More great action in the first reading from Acts 18. Today we meet a Scripture expert named Apollos. After studying the Scriptures, “he established from the Scriptures that the Christ...
Grief Becomes Joy
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In today's first reading from Acts 18, the Lord comes to Paul in a vision and tells him, "Go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you."...
Ascension Thursday
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension. In most dioceses around the country, today is not a Holy Day of obligation. For most, this feast will be celebrated...
"An Unknown God"
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In today's first reading from Acts 17, Paul addresses some Greeks at the Areopagus. In the Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus tells His Apostles of "the Spirit of truth,...
Suicide Interrupted
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I'm going to talk about a very touchy subject in today's reflection: suicide. The reason is that we see a man about to commit suicide in our first reading from...
Our Topsy-Turvy World
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We live in a rapidly changing world, don’t we? Ever feel like things are completely topsy-turvy, upside down? More on that in a moment. In our first reading today from...
Always Be Ready
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As Christians, we need to be like Boy Scouts. Be prepared. It’s the theme of Advent. Stay awake! Be ready! We see a very good reminder of that theme in...
Haters Gonna Hate
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More action and adventure today in the first reading from Acts 16. Paul has a vision in which a Macedonian says to him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”...
Dying to Self
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For the Gospel reading today, we’re back in John 15, where Jesus says, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than...
The First Synod
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How is your joy? As Christians, we are supposed to be a joyful people. Read what Jesus says about joy in today's Gospel reading from John 15. Today's first reading...
Of Vines and Branches and Hell
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In today's Gospel reading from John 15, we get a bit of a horticulture lesson from Jesus. He says, "I am the vine, you are the branches." He talks of...
Necessary Hardships
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In the first reading today from Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas tell the faithful, "It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." Wait...this...
The Cult of Personality
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In the Gospel reading today from John 14, Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and...
Troubled Hearts
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In the Gospel reading today, we’re in John 14, at the Last Supper. Jesus tells the Apostles, “Where I am going, you know the way.” Confused, Thomas says, “Master, we...
You Still Do Not Know Me?
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In today's Gospel reading from John 14, Philip has a request for Jesus. "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." Jesus' reply must have stung...
Your Mansion
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In today's first reading from Acts 13, we hear more of Paul's speech at the synagogue in Antioch. In the Gospel reading from John 14, at the Last Supper, Jesus...
Sing the Lord's Goodness
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In today's first reading from Acts 13, Paul gives the people in the synagogue in Antioch a little history lesson. The Gospel reading from John 13 are the words of...
Saints Philip and James, Apostles
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Today is the Feast of Saints Philip and James. They share a feast day because they shared the patronage of an ancient Roman basilica, known today as the Church of...
Seeing God's Grace
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In the first reading today from Acts 11, we read about the rapid spread of the faith. In the Gospel reading from John 10, the Jews become impatient with Jesus,...
Be A Good Sheep
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In today’s Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” He continues with the analogy of referring to his followers as sheep. Many of us today,...
Recognizing the Voice of the Shepherd
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In the Gospel reading from John 10, we hear Jesus speaking again about sheep and shepherds. He says, "When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of...