Of Seeds and Sowers
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower of the seeds. After telling his parable, the disciples didn’t understand. Jesus seems a bit...
Send Me!
Posted on
1 comment
Our first reading today is from Isaiah 6. It is one that you will often hear from Vocation Directors. And rightfully so. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading...
Healing Our Wounds
Posted on
1 comment
Jesus continues His instructions to the Apostles as He sends them out in Matthew 10. He tells them, "You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever...
Without Cost
Posted on
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...
It is Time to Seek the Lord
Posted on
2 comments
In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 10, we see the listing of the Twelve Apostles. Then Jesus sends out the Twelve, telling them to “go to the lost sheep...
The Law of Sowing and Reaping
Posted on
In today's first reading from Hosea 8, we read this: "When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind." Perhaps you've heard the old expression, "You reap what you...
Marriage Covenant with God
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Matthew 9, we see the story of two healings. A woman who has been suffering for years is healed by her faith, and Jesus...
Dependence Day
Posted on
3 comments
Happy 4th of July! In the USA, today is Independence Day. It’s the day we celebrate our breaking away from the British empire and declaring ourselves an independent nation. It’s...
Awesome Thomas
Posted on
2 comments
Today is the Feast of St. Thomas. That’s right, Doubting Thomas. That story is our Gospel reading. More on that in a moment. Our first reading today from Ephesians talks...
An Unlikely Prophet
Posted on
1 comment
Amos was an unlikely prophet. Take a look at the first reading today and you’ll see what I mean. He was, like most all the prophets, quite unpopular, too. More...
Taking On Demons
Posted on
What a great message the Lord gives to the people through the prophet Amos in our first reading today from Amos 5: “Seek good and not evil, that you may...
There was Great Calm
Posted on
In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 8, Jesus and His disciples take a little cruise on the Sea of Galilee. While they’re out, Jesus is taking a nap. (I suspect Jesus...
Giants of the Faith
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates two giants of the faith. It is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Interesting, isn’t it? You would think that, given the importance of each,...
Losing your Life
Posted on
In the Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus finishes His instructions to the Apostles as He sends them out. Among other things, He says, “Whoever finds his life will lose...
Subject to Authority
Posted on
1 comment
Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 8 contains a line that every Catholic should be familiar with. They are the words of a centurion who asked Jesus to heal a servant...
Into Exile
Posted on
In today's first reading from 2 Kings 25, we see one of the saddest moments in the history of God's chosen people - the beginning of the Babylonian exile. For...
Words are Not Enough
Posted on
1 comment
In the first reading today from 2 Kings, we see a story of evil, sin, defeat and surrender. The Babylonians took over Jerusalem. It was yet another blow to God’s...
The Last Prophet
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Nativity of John the Baptist. In the first reading today from Isaiah 49, we see the messianic prophesies, all of which certainly could be attributed...
The Path of Least Resistance
Posted on
1 comment
Our God is a big God. He can handle anything, even things that we might think are too big for even God! We see an awesome example of this in...
Of Splinters and Beams
Posted on
1 comment
Today’s first reading shows us the beginning of the diaspora, where the tribes of Israel are scattered, leaving only the tribe of Judah. God allowed them to be tossed out...
Whom to Fear
Posted on
1 comment
In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus says, "Fear no one...And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid...
The Heart of Our Mother
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Yesterday was the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is appropriate that we celebrate the heart...
The Very Heart of God
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus speaks of His heart in the Gospel reading from Matthew 11: “Come to me, all you...
The Surrender Prayer
Posted on
Over the past few days we have been reading the story of Elijah and Elisha. Today’s first reading is from Sirach 48. It is something of a recap of the...
Double the Blessing
Posted on
3 comments
Today’s first reading is one that has stuck with me since the first time I ever heard it. Elijah is about to hand the office of prophet over to Elisha....
We're All People
Posted on
1 comment
Today’s first reading is an interesting conclusion to the story of Ahab and Jezebel. God sends Elijah to tell them of how He was going to punish them because of...
Evil Woman
Posted on
1 comment
Today's first reading from 1 Kings 21 is the story of an evil woman; perhaps the most evil woman in Scripture - Jezebel. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 5,...
Corpus Christi
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of The Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi. All of the readings today point to the Eucharist, the source and summit of...
The No-Spin Zone
Posted on
1 comment
In our Gospel reading today from Matthew 5, Jesus talks about swearing oaths. In fact, He says we should not swear oaths at all. Why? Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’...
The Still, Small Voice
Posted on
1 comment
Our first reading from 1 Kings 19 is so poignant for us in today’s world. We read the story of Elijah hearing the voice of God…though not in the way...
The Encourager
Posted on
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Barnabas. There are two optional Gospel readings for today. The reading for the feast day is from Matthew 10 where Jesus sends out...
God vs. gods
Posted on
More from the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel reading today. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have...
A City on a Mountain
Posted on
1 comment
A city on a hill is pretty common imagery. But do you know where that comes from? It’s in the Bible, and part of today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 5....
Beatitude Questions
Posted on
2 comments
In today’s Gospel reading, we begin Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount, from Matthew 5. He begins with the beatitudes. I’d like to go through a quick exercise today where...
Trinity Sunday
Posted on
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; three Persons, one God. We see this idea fleshed out at the end of the second reading from 2 Corinthians...
An Inconvenient Faith
Posted on
More great exhortations from St. Paul to Timothy today in our first reading from 2 Timothy 4. All things that we should take to heart. In Mark 12 today, we...
Scripture
Posted on
Jesus got thrown trick questions and conundrums often by the Pharisees, the scribes, the Sadducees and others. In the Gospel reading today from Mark 12, Jesus throws out a tricky...
The Truth Without Deviation
Posted on
1 comment
In 2 Timothy 2 today, St. Paul continues to exhort Timothy, reminding him to preach and teach in a way befitting the office he has accepted. In today’s Gospel, Jesus...
God of the Living
Posted on
In the first reading today from 2 Timothy 1, St. Paul says “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control....
Caesar's or God's
Posted on
1 comment
In the Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus is asked by some Pharisees and Herodians about paying taxes. They try to trip Him up by asking, “Is it lawful to...
Mary, Mother of the Church
Posted on
2 comments
Today, the day after Pentecost, the Church celebrates the feast of The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. This is a brand new memorial, instituted by Pope Francis in...
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
Posted on
Today is Pentecost Sunday. We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the birthday of the Church. We see this event in the first reading from Acts 2. At...
You Follow Me
Posted on
In Acts 28 today, we see Paul continuing in his ministry, even while in custody. Oh, that we could all have the evangelistic spirit of St. Paul! In the Gospel...
Jesus' Question to You
Posted on
In the first reading today from Acts 25, Paul is in Caesarea awaiting trial. He is asked if he wants to go to Jerusalem to have his case heard. Paul...
Christ In Us
Posted on
In today's first reading from Acts, Paul starts a dispute between the Pharisees and Saducees that turned so serious that Paul had to be extricated from the proceedings for fear...
In, Not Of
Posted on
Today we hear the last half of Paul’s moving farewell address to the Church in Ephesus. There is so much for us to take out of this reading! Read it...
Finish the Job
Posted on
What’s the greatest thing that we can achieve in life? To amass a fortune? Certainly not. To raise good kids? Be a good husband/wife/father/mother? To do lots of good works?...
Honoring Our Fallen Heroes
Posted on
2 comments
I’m going to deviate a bit from our normal format today. I’ve still got the link for today’s readings at the bottom of this post. And, of course, I encourage...
Correcting Error
Posted on
1 comment
In today's first reading from Acts 18, we meet Apollos. He was "an eloquent speaker" and "an authority on the Scriptures." But he wasn't fully informed on the faith. Because...
Ascension Thursday
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension. While this is normally a Holy Day of Obligation in some places, remember that, due to coronavirus, everyone is dispensed from the...