Salvation Only Through Jesus
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In Acts 4 today, we pick up the story of Peter and John right after the healing of the crippled beggar. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel...
Peace Be With You
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I love Peter's boldness of speech after Pentecost. Read what he has to say to the people today in the first reading from Acts 3. In the Gospel passage from...
The Most I Can Do for You
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Another great story from Acts 3 for our first reading today. We’ll talk about that in a moment. The Gospel reading from Luke 24 is one of the most interesting...
The Promise
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We’re back in Acts 2 for our first reading today, hearing more of Peter’s great speech at Pentecost. In the Gospel reading from John 20, Mary Magdalene has two amazing...
God Raised Him Up
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Today is Easter Monday. During the Easter season, our first readings will all be from the Acts of the Apostles. In today's first reading, we hear part of Peter's speech...
Happy Easter!
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Jesus is risen! Alleluia! Happy Easter! The long season of Lent has come to a close. Now it's time to celebrate! While Lent is forty days long, the season of...
Holy Saturday
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Holy Saturday is an interesting day. It reminds me of waiting in the doctor’s office waiting room after you have had some tests run. You’re kind of in a state...
Going Through the Cross
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Good Friday. Today is the only day of the year when there is no Mass. Though there is no Mass, I’m sure that your parish will be having at least...
The New Passover
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Each year on Holy Thursday, the first reading for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is taken from Exodus 11-12. That same reading is today’s first reading. In the Gospel...
The Betrayal Game
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Want to know what Jesus is all about and what he did for you? Check out today’s first reading from Isaiah 50. It really says it all. On Wednesday of...
"I Will Lay Down My Life for You"
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Our first reading today is from Isaiah 49, more from the prophesies of the Servant of the Lord. “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation...
Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks
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Monday of Holy Week. For the next few days, our first readings will be from Isaiah, the prophesies of the Servant of the Lord. We’ll talk about today’s reading in...
Beware Honor
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Today is Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday. It marks the start of Holy Week. Today’s Gospel reading is the longest of the year. Today we hear (and even participate in)...
On Dying for Others
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As we approach Palm Sunday, the story of the final week of Jesus’ life unfolds. In the first reading from Ezekiel 37, the prophet speaks of the return of the...
Believe the Works
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In today’s first reading from Jeremiah 20, we hear the people plotting against Jeremiah. But they will not be victorious; they will not have their way. Jeremiah says, “But the...
Mary's Fiat
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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. It is exactly nine months before Christmas. Let me be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas this year! In the...
Walking Into the Fire
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In today’s Gospel reading from John 8, we hear Jesus tell the Jews who believed in Him, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” That...
Look Up and Live
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Today’s first reading from Numbers 21 tells us the story of God sending saraph serpents among the people of Israel, who had become terrible whiners. God then commands Moses to...
God of Second Chances
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In today’s readings, we see the stories of two women who are about to be killed. In the first reading from Daniel, we see the story of Susanna. Two wicked...
Dying to Produce Fruit
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In our Gospel reading today from John 12, Jesus teaches us about wheat. “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,...
No Tracks in God's Kingdom
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The people were plotting to kill Jeremiah. He was unaware of these plans. After the LORD reveals this to him, Jeremiah cries out for vengeance. “Let me witness the vengeance...
Great St. Joseph
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Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Joseph is often referred to as the foster father or earthly father of Jesus. The...
Praise and Approval
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In today’s first reading from Exodus 32, Moses has a little heart-to-heart with God, asking Him to relent from destroying His people. And God relented. A wonderful statement on the...
I Will Never Forget You
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In the Gospel reading today from John 5, Jesus begins to reveal more clearly who He truly is. He says, “My Father is at work until now, so I am...
A Rhetorical Question?
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Water is a theme that runs through our two readings today. In the first reading from Ezekiel 47, the Angel of the Lord shows Ezekiel a trickle of water flowing...
Bringing Others to Jesus
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Ever wonder what things will be like after Jesus returns. That is, after all, a basic tenet of our faith; that Christ will come again. Well, wonder no more! The...
The Good News
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Today’s Gospel reading includes John 3:16. This is probably the most well-known verse in the Bible. Most people know it, and if they don’t, they surely know of it. Always reminds...
The Tax Collector and the Pharisee
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We’re back in Hosea for our first reading today. We see a verse from Hosea that is quoted a few times in the New Testament. “For it is love that...
Stumbling Sinners
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The end of today's first reading from Hosea 14 says this: "Let him who is wise understand these things; let him who is prudent know them. Straight are the paths...
Banished Words
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In the Gospel reading today from Luke 11 Jesus is accused by some people of driving out demons by the prince of demons. Jesus talks about what a ridiculous notion...
Obey and Teach
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So many people look at Christianity, and especially Catholicism, as a religion of rules and regulations. You know, Thou Shalt Not this and that. Like it or not, God has...
"Feeling" Forgiveness
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Our first reading today is one of the most beautiful prayers in all of Scripture. It is the prayer of Azariah in the fiery furnace from Daniel 3. He says...
Not Part of the Club
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In today’s first reading from 2 Kings 5:1-15, we see the story of Naaman the Syrian. Naaman was a high ranking military official in Syria, but not an Israelite. He...
Follow the Money
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In the Gospel reading from John 2, we see Jesus throwing the merchants out of the temple area. Needless to say, this didn't sit well with the folks who had approved...
The Merciful Father
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In the Gospel reading from Luke 15, we see the story of the prodigal son. Interestingly, the story of the prodigal son could just as properly be called the story...
Envy Kills
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Today’s readings feature two stories of envy, one real, the other a parable. In the first reading from Genesis 27 we see the story of Joseph. His father, Israel “loved...
Lessons from Lazarus
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus tells the Pharisees the story of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus is a poor beggar who waits by the rich man’s...
The Fate of a Disciple
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I’m sure you’ve heard the old expression “No good deed goes unpunished.” Ain’t it the truth? Just take a look at the Scriptures. The prophets of old were simply doing...
Preaching by Practicing
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God is always ready to make things right. We are the ones who mess up, who walk away from God. Yet God is always waiting to welcome us back with...
Be Merciful
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We know that the Lord is merciful. In our first reading today from Daniel 9, we read, "But yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness." In the Gospel...
Lenten Transfiguration
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Today’s Gospel reading is Mark’s version of the Transfiguration. This is when Jesus takes Peter, James and John up to the top of the mountain (the very same mountain that...
Doing the Undoable
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Jesus’ message was all about love. And today in our Gospel reading from Matthew 5, He takes his teaching to the extreme. “But I say to you, love your enemies...
Be Reconciled
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It is imperative that we not only believe in Christ, but that we live out His words. In the first reading today from Ezekiel 18, we see the truth of...
Asking for Help
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It’s common knowledge that men don’t like to ask for directions. I guess in the age of the GPS, that problem has been all but eliminated. Asking for help, for...
Ignoring the Sign
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Most people know the story of Jonah. At least, they know part of it; they know the part where he gets swallowed by a big fish. But what about the...
The Purpose of God's Word
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What a beautiful reading today from Isaiah 55. We’ll talk about it in a moment. Our Gospel reading today from Matthew 6 is where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray....
Of Chairs and Popes
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Some might look at that and say, “Boy, you Catholics are really strange! Imagine celebrating a piece of...
Into the Desert
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Today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1 tells us that, before the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus went into the desert for forty days, where he was tempted by Satan....
Follow Like Levi
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Today's Gospel reading from Luke 5 is about the call of Levi. Not sure who Levi is? We know him better as Matthew. He was a tax collector. Jesus sees Levi...
Fasting
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In our first reading today from Isaiah 58, we hear what is truly an acceptable form of fasting. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading, the Pharisees...