What is Love?
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In his epistles, St. John wrote an awful lot about love. In our first reading today from 1 John 4, the word “love” or a variation of it appears nine...
The One Who is in You
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For many today is “back to reality day.” Lots of folks have been off since Christmas Eve. If that includes you, welcome back! Hopefully we can hit the ground running...
The Epiphany
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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...
An Important Question
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Today’s first reading from 1 John 3 can be a difficult one to grasp. St. John writes, “Whoever sins belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the...
Behold, the Lamb of God
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The first verse of today's Gospel reading is one that every Catholic knows. I often use it when speaking at conferences to show Catholics that they know Scripture much better...
Who Are You?
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In today's Gospel reading from John 1, the Jews from Jerusalem send people to ask a question of John the Baptist. It seems like a simple enough question. Who are...
My Scriptural Resolution
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Happy New Year! Remember that today is the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God. It is a holy day of obligation. We get to go to Mass! New Year’s...
A Mind-Blowing Message
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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...
Loving "The World"
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In today’s first reading, we get some great advice from St. John. More on that in a moment. The Gospel reading today is from Luke 2. Today we read about...
Jesus, Mary and Joseph
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The Sunday after Christmas is always the Feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. All of the readings center on family themes. Anyone with an ounce of...
The Holy Innocents
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Innocents. Who are the Holy Innocents? They are the children killed by order of Herod in Bethlehem right after the birth...
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...
A Christmas Thank You
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Christmas is here! Christmas is here! I can remember waking up VERY early on Christmas mornings when I was a kid and yelling that out to my brothers and sisters....
Always Christmas Eve
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Today is Christmas Eve. Many people (myself and my family included) will go to Mass this afternoon or this evening for Christmas. Many will attend the beautiful Midnight Mass. Whenever...
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....
Love is With Us
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In today’s first reading from Isaiah 7, we see the prophecy that is at the heart of Christianity. “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall...
Blessed is the Fruit of Your 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...
The "Yes" that Changed the World
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As the Christmas story continues to unfold in the liturgy, our first reading today contains the prophecy from Isaiah 7: "The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall...
Miracle Babies
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Today’s readings tell the stories of two miracle babies – Samson and John the Baptist. The mothers of both of these boys were barren. Everyone assumed they would never have...
Righteous Joseph
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Today in the first reading from Jeremiah 23, the Lord says, “Behold, the days are coming when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall...
The Genealogy of Jesus
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Well, it is one week before Christmas Eve! Are you feeling it yet? Beginning today, the liturgy begins to unfold the story of Christmas. In the first reading today from...
By What Authority?
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 21, the chief priests and the elders ask Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?” Jesus asks them a trick question...
Gaudete Sunday
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Today is Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent. Today we light the pink, or rose, candle on the Advent wreath. It is called Gaudete Sunday because of the opening...
God of the Unexpected
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Today’s first reading is from the Book of Sirach. The author talks of Elijah, “whose words were a flaming furnace.” Then in the Gospel reading from Matthew 17, the disciples...
Of Wisdom and Works
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In the first reading today from Isaiah 48, God says, “I, the LORD, your God, teach you what is for your good, and lead you on the way you should...
Our Lady of Guadalupe
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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,...
Of Eagles and Chickens and Turkeys
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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...
What Shall I 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...
Solemnity of 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...
Are You Up for It?
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Today is the Second Sunday of Advent. In the Gospel reading from Mark 1, we read about the ministry of John the Baptist. He is the one about whom the...
The Teacher
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As you read today’s first reading from Isaiah 30, I hope your mind is immediately drawn to Jesus. We see these prophesies so perfectly fulfilled in Jesus. More on that...
Do You Believe?
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Once again, another theme runs through the readings for today. In the first reading from Isaiah 29, we read this…”And out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the...
Rock On!
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When you build a structure, a house or a building, it must have a firm foundation. Otherwise it may fall. The firmest of foundations is rock. This is the “golden...
Behold Our God!
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In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 15, Jesus feeds a great multitude. He says, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd…I do not want to send them...
The Difference Between Childlike and Childish
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Today’s first reading from Isaiah 11 starts with what should be a familiar prophesy. “On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse…” Jesse was Kind David’s...
Such Faith
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We’ll be reading a lot from Isaiah during the Advent season. And rightly so. In the first reading today, we see where we can “take cover” from the things that...
Stay Awake!
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Today we begin a new year in the Church. Happy Advent! The world wants us to think that this is the Christmas season. But the Christmas season actually STARTS with...
He Ain't Heavy
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Today is the feast of St. Andrew. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. In the first reading from Romans 10, St. Paul asks a number of questions…”How can they...
Son of Man
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In today’s first reading from Daniel 7, we see the term “son of man” first used. This is the phrase that Jesus used more than any other to refer to...
Be Thankful
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Today is Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving! I have a link to today’s readings at the bottom of today’s post. But rather than comment on the readings, I...
The Bigger Picture
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In today’s Gospel passage from Luke 21, Jesus talks about some of the fun things that his disciples could expect. Check it out…”They will seize and persecute you, they will...
The End Times
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Ever heard the expression “feet of clay?” It means when someone has a fatal flaw. Usually someone admired or thought highly of. We use the expression when someone lets us...
No Pain, No Gain
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In the first reading today, we read the beginning of the Book of the Prophet Daniel. Daniel was a gifted young man, and faithful to God. For that, God blessed...
The Perfect King
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Today the Church celebrates the end of the liturgical year. Fittingly enough, it is the Feast of Christ the King. All of the readings today point to the kingship of...
God of the Living
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 20, Jesus talks about marriage and the resurrection. Some Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, asked Jesus whose wife a woman...
Hanging On His Words
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In the first reading today from 1 Maccabees 4, we read about the origins of Hanukkah. Do you know what that Jewish feast, celebrated to this day, is all about?...
A Hero's Zeal
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All week long we've been reading about heroes of the faith in Maccabees. Today we read about Mattathias. In our Gospel reading from Luke 19, Jesus weeps over Jerusalem and...
A Courageous Mother
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In our first reading today from 2 Maccabees 7, we meet yet another fascinating character. She is a mother who exhibits amazing faith and bravery. Some may think otherwise, but...
Heroes of the Faith
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In today’s readings, we meet two great characters of the Bible! The first, Eleazar, is one who is probably very little known, the other very well known, especially with kids....