You are Dust
Posted on
Blessed Ash Wednesday! Today we begin our Lenten journey for 2020. Whatever you have chosen to do or give up (or a combination thereof), I pray that this will be...
What We Ask For
Posted on
“If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” Those words of Jesus come to us from today’s Gospel reading from...
Help My Unbelief
Posted on
Wisdom comes in two forms: heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom. St. James speaks of the two in today’s first reading from James 3. Which type of wisdom are we working...
Of Eyes and Teeth
Posted on
We have another controversial Gospel reading today from Matthew 5. Jesus talks about offering no resistance to the one who is evil; about turning the other cheek. The old law...
The Chair of St. Peter
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. It has nothing to do with a piece of furniture. Today we celebrate the office of the Papacy...
Faith and Works
Posted on
Today’s first reading from St. James is a treatise on faith and works. St. James says “faith without works is dead.” More on that in a moment. In today’s Gospel...
Get Behind Me, Satan
Posted on
Today’s Gospel reading from Mark 8 is the story of Jesus asking the disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter replies, "You are the Christ." Peter then rebukes...
A Doing Problem
Posted on
1 comment
More great stuff today from St. James in our first reading. In the Gospel reading from Mark 8, Jesus heals a blind man; but it takes Him two tries. In...
On Temptation
Posted on
In our first reading today from James 1, St. James talks about temptation. This is a subject that comes up at the end of the Lord’s Prayer. More in a...
This is Joy?
Posted on
For our first reading today, we begin the Letter of St. James. James is one of those books in the Bible that it would be very good for us to...
Your Righteousness
Posted on
1 comment
Today's is a very long and difficult Gospel reading. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus raises the bar to ridiculous levels and how we behave and how we think. ...
Corruption
Posted on
In the first reading today from 1 Kings 12 and 13, we read about Jeroboam. Jeroboam was one of the kings of Israel. He was not a good guy. More...
Open Ears, Open Mouths
Posted on
2 comments
Jesus performs another miracle in today’s Gospel reading from Mark 7. He takes a deaf mute away from the crowds and heals him. The people were astonished and said, “He...
Even the Wisest Fall
Posted on
In our Gospel reading today from Mark 7, a woman comes to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter. The woman is a Greek, not a child of Israel. At...
The Bad Stuff that Comes Out
Posted on
When I was a kid, my mom always used to use the phrase “The Queen of Sheba” to describe a person (or sometimes a dog) who thought they were all...
Tradition and tradition
Posted on
In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 8, Solomon stands before the altar in the magnificent temple that he had built and offers up a prayer to God. This is...
No One Left Behind
Posted on
Solomon has taken over as king after the death of his father, David. In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 8, we read about the ark of the covenant being...
Giving Light
Posted on
Today's Gospel reading is Matthew 5:13-16, from the Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus says, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden....
Wisdom
Posted on
In today's first reading from 1 Kings 3, we meet Solomon. God told Solomon that he could ask for anything he wanted and he would be given it. Instead of...
Lessons from King David
Posted on
For the past few weeks we have been reading about the life and times of King David. What a fascinating man! Our first reading today is from Sirach 47. It...
Fatherly Advice
Posted on
David was about to go to his eternal rest. He had some advice to give to his son, who would take the throne. More in a moment. In our Gospel...
They Took Offense
Posted on
Taking responsibility seems to be something that has gotten lost these days. I suppose that has always been true in some measure. It seems people, especially leaders, always want to...
Life and Death in a Family
Posted on
2 comments
In today's readings, we see two stories about life and death in a family. In the first reading from 2 Samuel, David's son Absalom is killed. Absalom had been hunting...
Go and Tell Your Family
Posted on
1 comment
King David lived such an interesting life. As we have seen, it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. He had a large share of hardship heaped upon him, some, of course,...
A Promise Kept
Posted on
Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. Also known as Candlemas, this is the day when candles will be blessed. There will be three readings today. In...
You are the Man!
Posted on
David had sinned greatly. This did not escape the LORD’s notice. More in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus and His disciples are in a boat...
God is Always at Work
Posted on
1 comment
You’ve heard the old saying, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” So true. I’m sure you’ve experienced that in your life. More in a moment. In our first reading today,...
The Measure With Which You Measure
Posted on
King David was “a man after God’s own heart.” God had promised him that his kingdom would last forever, through the Messiah which would come from his line. In today’s...
Sowing the Seeds of Grace
Posted on
1 comment
Today's Gospel reading is the parable of the sower from Mark 4. Jesus tells a story of a man who goes out and sows seeds all over. The seeds fall...
Dancing Hearts
Posted on
When it comes to God, the family is pretty large. What do I mean? In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of God is my brother...
How Satan Plunders
Posted on
In today's first reading from 2 Samuel 5, we see David being anointed as king of Israel. In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus is accused of driving out...
Change Your Mind
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 4, we read about the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. His first words were, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." The...
Knocked From Our High Horse
Posted on
Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. We see the story of Saul’s (Paul’s birth name) conversion in two places in Acts of the Apostles. In chapter...
Admitting We're Wrong
Posted on
David and Saul had a tumultuous relationship. Saul hated David, and hunted him down to kill him. You would think that David would share this animosity. But not so. More...
Jealousy and Envy
Posted on
1 comment
Goliath was dead. You would think that King Saul would be overjoyed that David, one of his own, had slain the Philistine. And he was…for a short time. More in...
Taking Down Goliath
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Mark 3, Jesus has another run-in with the Pharisees about the sabbath. Jesus asks them, “Is it lawful to do good ont he sabbath...
Of Books and Covers
Posted on
In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 16, we read about the anointing of David. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus is...
Obedience is Tough
Posted on
In the first reading today from 1 Samuel 15, we see a bit of the sneakiness of King Saul. Samuel has to call him out on it. More in a...
The Sin of the World
Posted on
Catholics are all familiar with John 1:29, which starts the Gospel reading in today's Mass. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." I think...
A Doctor You can Trust
Posted on
The people of Israel insisted that God give them a king. Despite warnings to the contrary, they persisted. In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 9, we meet the new...
Everyone Else
Posted on
1 comment
You would think that as God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel would enjoy being different, set apart. Uh…not so much. We see this in today’s first reading. More in...
The Agony of Defeat
Posted on
When we choose to follow God, life ain’t always a bed of roses. I’m sure you’ve experienced this. Challenges still come our way. People we love get sick and die....
Hearing and Listening
Posted on
Have you ever heard God speak to you? I believe God speaks to us in many different ways. I’ve talked to a number of people who tell me that God...
Cutting a Deal with God
Posted on
2 comments
In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus casts an unclean spirit out of a man while in the synagogue in Capernaum. The people recognized the authority that Jesus had,...
Of Fishing and Catching
Posted on
1 comment
Welcome back to Ordinary Time! In the first reading today we begin the first Book of Samuel. Today we read about a broken-hearted woman, Hannah. She was barren and wanted desperately...
The Need for Baptism
Posted on
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...
Fading into the Background
Posted on
Catholics believe in different “kinds” of sin. Mortal sin and venial sin. Venial sins are still sins, but not as serious as mortal sins. Mortal sins are those sins that...
Be Made Clean
Posted on
Today’s first reading from 1 John 5 begins with a question: “Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of...
Victory through Faith
Posted on
Have you ever felt like you can conquer the world? If not, why not? St. John gives us some good insight into that in our first reading today. More in...
Fear and Love
Posted on
Strong words from St. John today in our first reading from 1 John 4. St. John talks about fear. More on that in a moment. We see fear, too, come...