Much Rejoicing
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As Christians, we know that our confidence can be found in God alone. When we have confidence in our flesh, we are in big trouble. Because the flesh will always...
It Costs Everything
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In the first reading today from Philippians 2, St. Paul writes, “Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in...
Where is Your Priority?
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“At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That’s...
Praying for the Dead
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Today we celebrate All Souls' Day. On this feast (and throughout the month of November) we pray for the souls of the faithful departed. To many non-Catholic Christians, this seems...
All Saints Day
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Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. For the past 20 years, whenever this day falls on a weekday, I have a tradition of calling everyone with whom I speak...
Seeking the Lowest Place
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In the first reading from Philippians 1, St. Paul struggles with whether he would rather stick around on earth or go home to be with the Lord. Not a true...
A Work in Progress
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In today’s Gospel reading, we see another case of Jesus taking on the controversial topic of “working” on the sabbath. Is it okay to do good on the sabbath, to...
The Armor of God
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In today’s first reading from Ephesians 6, St. Paul tells us to “put on the armor of God.” He goes on to explain just what that is. More in a...
Help for the Hopeless
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Today is the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. The readings are the same as the feast days of other Apostles – Ephesians 2:19-22, which I recently wrote about,...
Be Subordinate
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus tells two short parables about the Kingdom of God. The first compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed, the other to yeast....
People First
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Today’s reflection may be a stretch, but stay with me. I want to make a connection between the first reading and the Gospel reading, something we can do most every...
A Spiritual Two-fer
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus is asked, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” His answer may have surprised some. When Jesus is asked about...
How to Perish - Or Not
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13, some people tell Jesus about some Jews who had been killed by Pilate. Jesus’ response is telling. “Do you think that because these...
The Forest for the Trees
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In our first reading today from Ephesians 4, St. Paul urges his readers to “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness,...
Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
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Is your heart on fire for Jesus? It should be! That is Jesus' wish. Read about it in our Gospel reading from Luke 12. Next question: Do you believe that...
Great Expectations
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus tells a parable of two servants, one faithful, the other unfaithful. Have you ever wondered what God expects of you? Dumb question,...
Members of the Household
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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...
Love is What Matters
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By what are you saved? St. Paul gives us the answer in today’s first reading from Ephesians 2:1-10. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is...
It All Belongs to God
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus is asked by some Pharisees and Herodians about paying taxes. They try to trip Him up by asking, “Is it lawful to...
Denying Jesus
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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...
What You're Worth
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The old existential question persists – Why are we here? Actually, St. Paul gives the answer to that question in our first reading from Ephesians 1. “…so that we might...
Chosen to be Holy
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In the first reading today, we begin reading St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. This will be a very rich couple of weeks as we go through the book of...
Bad News/Good News
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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...
Internal and External
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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...
Freedom and Slavery
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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...
Invited to the Feast
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In the Gospel reading from Matthew 22, Jesus tells a parable about a king who gives a wedding feast for his son. When the servants went out to summon the...
Clothed in Baptism
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In today’s first reading from Galatians 3, St. Paul says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Did you realize that’s what happened...
Fully Armed
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus is accused of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebul. He then talks about how a kingdom divided against itself cannot...
Asking for the Holy Spirit
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Have you ever read How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie? It's a classic, one that I recommend to everyone. I don't recall in there about calling...
Our Lady of the Rosary
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Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In light of that, I'd like to reflect on the beautiful prayer that is the Rosary. For many years, I...
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...
Your Samaritan
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For today's first reading, we begin a trip through St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians. Today St. Paul writes, "If I were still trying to please people, I would not...
Producing Fruit for the Kingdom
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In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus tells a parable about a landowner. The landowner sends numerous servants to look after a vineyard that he had leased to some...
Job's End
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This week we have read from the Book of Job for our first readings. Today we hear the end of the story. Throughout all his trials, which were more than...
Guardian Angels
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of The Holy Guardian Angels. In the first reading from Exodus 23, God sends an angel to the Hebrew people "to guard you on...
Like Lambs Among Wolves
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 10, Jesus sends out seventy-two of His disciples in pairs to the places He intended to visit. He gives them instructions before they go,...
Moving Forward
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Today is the Feast of St. Jerome, the author of the Vulgate, or Latin translation of the Scriptures. St. Jerome famously said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." A...
Spiritual Battle
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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...
Be 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...
Changed Hearts and Minds
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A genuine encounter with Jesus changes a person. In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 18, we hear about people who have changed, and how it ends for them. In the Gospel...
The Gift of Youth
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 9, the disciples do not understand something that Jesus says. Even though they didn’t get it, they were afraid to ask Him about...
Only for a Season
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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,...
Striving for the Pointless?
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In the first reading today, we begin the book of Ecclesiastes. The book is something of a study in the futility of life here on earth. More in a moment....
Two Things I Ask
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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...
Proverbs
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Today's first reading is from Proverbs 21. The Gospel reading is from Luke 8, where Jesus describes who His mother and brothers are. "My mother and my brothers are those...
Our Spiritual Health
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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...
God's Generosity
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Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 20 is the parable of the workers in the vineyard. A man hires men to work in his vineyard at different times of the day....
What You Sow
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Today's readings both talk about sowing. The Gospel reading from Luke 8 is the parable of the sower and the explanation of the parable. In the first reading, we're back...
The Most Pitiable People of All
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Women were a very important part of the Church from the very beginning. In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 8, St. Luke lists some women who accompanied Jesus and the...
Recognizing Grace
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Today's Gospel reading is the story of a sinful woman who comes to do homage to Jesus in the home of a Pharisee. Jesus says, "So I tell you, her...