Out of Our Minds
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The Gospel reading today from Mark 3 is very short; just two verses. Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them...
The Apostles
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Today's first reading from Hebrews 8 talks about the "new" covenant. "When he speaks of a 'new' covenant, he declares the first one obsolete." The old covenant included sacrifice of...
A Once for All Sacrifice
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In the first reading today from Hebrews 7 & 8, the sacred author talks about the once for all sacrifice of Christ. “He has no need, as did the high...
Withered Hands, Withered Hearts
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Are you familiar with Melchizedek? If not, read up on him. For someone who shows up in just a few short verses in Genesis, he's a very important figure in...
Sluggish
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus says something very telling to the Pharisees. “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the...
Our Great High Priest
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Today in Hebrews 5, we see a theme that we touched on last week; that Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered. The author of Hebrews was big on this...
Behold the Lamb of God
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Today's Gospel reading from John 1 contains a Bible verse that every Catholic knows. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." These words were...
Confidence
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Our Gospel reading today is from Mark 2, the call of Levi, aka Matthew. Jesus says to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed Jesus. In the first...
That Kind of Friend
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Life is hard. But we can find rest in God. Today's first reading from Hebrews 4 encourages us to "enter into that rest." In the Gospel reading today from Mark...
If This Was Your Last "Today"
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Today’s Gospel story is from Mark 1, about a leper that comes to Jesus seeking to be healed. Jesus heals him and tells him not to tell anyone. The guy...
He's Been There and Done That
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Back in Hebrews 2 today, we see more about the suffering of Jesus and how that plays to our advantage. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark...
Subject to Christ
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Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth by the Father. In the Gospel reading today from Mark 1, the people recognized this about Jesus. After He had...
Jesus' Baptism and Our Baptism
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Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. We see that moment where John the Baptist has just baptized Jesus when "a voice came from the heavens, saying, 'This...
Awakening
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Today is the Feast of Epiphany. We celebrate the time when the three Wise Men, a.k.a Three Kings or Magi, appeared to offer gifts to Jesus. Such an interesting story...
The Best Advice Ever
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Jesus’ first public miracle, as told in John’s Gospel, is changing water into wine. It happens at a wedding feast at Cana. This story is the Gospel reading in today’s...
The Process of Victory
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There are two options for a Gospel reading today. One is the genealogy of Jesus from Luke 3. The other is from Mark 1, where Jesus is baptized in the...
That's Some Low Standard!
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In the Gospel reading today from John 1, we see an encounter between Jesus and Nathanael. Nathanael, also known as Bartholomew, says to Jesus, “Rabbi, you are the Son of...
To Whom Do You Belong?
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We get some very stark words today in our first reading from 1 John 3. In the Gospel reading from John 1, we read about the call of Simon and...
Child of God!
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Good Morning, Child of God! Are you comfortable with that “title?” I certainly hope so, because that is what you are! So says St. John in our first reading from...
To Remain, or Not to Remain?
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More great advice from St. John in today’s first reading from 1 John 2. More on that in a moment. Our Gospel reading for today is from the Gospel of...
The Mother of God
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Happy New Year! Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. Since many - mostly our Protestant brothers and sisters - have an issue with this...
Pondering the Incarnation
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For today’s first reading, we are back in 1 John 2. Today St. John writes about the antichrist. Very interesting stuff, especially for those hard core “end-timers.” Those are the...
Family
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. All of the readings today talk about family. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 2, Joseph is instructed...
Thoughts of the Heart
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Today is the Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas. It's a good day for us to consider the difference between the things we say and the thoughts of our...
They Had No Choice
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents. On this day we remember all those children who were slaughtered in Bethlehem and the surrounding area after the birth of Jesus....
Running to Love
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Today we celebrate the Feast of St. John the Evangelist. St. John was the beloved disciple, the author of the fourth Gospel, three letters in the New Testament and the...
The Ultimate Sacrifice
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen, the first martyr. In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles, we see the story of Stephen’s martyrdom. And in...
Merry Christmas!
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Well, the day has finally arrived. Merry Christmas! I thank you for your support and pray for a blessed Christmas season for you and yours. Remember, Christmas isn't just one...
The Canticle of Zechariah
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Blessed Christmas Eve! Today's Gospel reading from Luke 1 is the canticle of Zechariah. I can't do better than that, so let's reflect today on his words. “Blessed be the...
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...