Show Them the Father
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Today is the Feast of Saints Philip and James. Philip and James were two of the Apostles. The first reading today is from 1 Corinthians 15, where St. Paul mentions...
Obedience
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There is a theme today in the readings: obedience. We hear Peter and the Apostles talk about it in the first reading from Acts 5. And in the Gospel reading...
The Gospel in a Nutshell
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In today’s first reading from Acts 5, we see the first of numerous jail breaks in the Acts of the Apostles. Seems that the authorities wanted to keep the Apostles...
A Communist Church?
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Today's Gospel reading is a continuation of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus from John 3. Our first reading is from Acts 4."The community of believers was of one heart...
Born Again Catholics
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Another awesome first reading today from Acts 4. After Peter and John were released, the disciples all got together and prayed, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and...
Divine Mercy
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Today, the second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. So, rather than do a reflection on the daily Scriptures, I thought we could take just a moment to reflect...
Impossible for Us Not to Speak
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In today's first reading from Acts 4, Peter and John are before the Sanhedrin after healing the crippled man in the temple. The elders have them leave the room as...
A Fishing Lesson
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In today's Gospel reading from John 21, Jesus gives the disciples a fishing lesson. Well, maybe not so much a fishing lesson as a lesson in obedience. Simon and Andrew,...
People of the Word
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Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies. Again and again he said, “So that the Scriptures may be fulfilled…” In today’s first reading from Acts 3, St. Peter...
Give What You Have
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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...
He Calls You by Name
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In today’s first reading from Acts 2, we hear more of what happened on the day of Pentecost. Peter tells the people, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you,...
The Tomb Test
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Happy Easter Monday! Liturgically, the Easter season will be around for quite some time. How appropriate! We have forty days of Lent, but fifty days of Easter. So up until...
Celebrating the Resurrection
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He is risen! Alleluia! (Boy, it seems like a long time since we’ver heard that word!) Happy Easter! Today we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord. This is the greatest...
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...
Were You There?
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Today is the one day of the year when there is no Mass celebrated. The commemoration of Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year. The readings for...
Washing Feet
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Lent is over today. We begin tonight the Sacred Triduum. It is one long liturgical celebration that encompasses Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. I hope you will make...
Be Mindful of Me, Lord
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When we think of the brutality that Jesus suffered for us, we can see that this was all foretold in today’s first reading from Isaiah 50. “I gave my back...
Peter and Me
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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...
You Always Have the Poor
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During Holy Week, we will be reading the Suffering Servant prophecies from Isaiah for our first readings. They are some of the most moving readings ever. Today is the first oracle...
Remembering the Lord's Passion
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Today is one of the most well-attended Mass days of the year. Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday. Outside of Christmas and Easter, more people come to Palm Sunday Mass than...
One Dying for the Many
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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...
Belief Through Works
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Jeremiah’s friends abandoned him. In fact, they became his foes. He says, “All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine.” How often this...
Covenant Thinking
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In today’s first reading from Genesis 17, we see a watershed moment in salvation history. Abram has his name changed to Abraham, and God makes a covenant with him. And...
True Freedom
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In today’s first reading from Daniel 3, we see the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego getting thrown into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith. Faith enough...
Try the Up-Look
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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...
The Light of the World
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Today’s first reading from Daniel 13 is such a cool story. It reads like a mystery thriller. Susanna is falsely accused of something she didn’t do by two dirty old...
Go and Sin No More
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In today’s Gospel passage from John 8, we read the story of the woman caught in adultery. The scribes and Pharisees bring the woman before Jesus, telling Him that the...
Vengeance
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You may have heard the saying, "Vengeance is mine, says the Lord." That's from Romans 12:19, and not part of today's liturgy. But it comes to mind for me because...
He is Obnoxious
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The first reading today from Wisdom 2 (Old Testament) fits Jesus to a tee. It begins with this: The wicked said among themselves, thinking not aright, "Let us beset the...
Seeking Approval of Others
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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...
Hearing Jesus' Voice
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The end of today's first reading from Isaiah 49 contains what seems to be a rhetorical question. "Can a mother forget her infant, but without tenderness for the child of...
Healing Water
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Water is very important. It is the stuff of life. Water also is important in healing. And water "runs through" the readings today. In the first reading from Ezekiel 47,...
Your Son Will Live
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“Lo, I am about to create a new heavens and a new earth…there shall be rejoicing and happiness in what I create.” These are words of the LORD from today’s...
Our Part in the Story
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Today's Gospel reading is from Luke 15, the story of the prodigal son. You know the story…a son wants his inheritance right away. So the father gives it to him...
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
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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...
A Difficult Love
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Today’s first reading from Hosea 14 contains some of the most beautiful imagery in Scripture. It shows us God’s loving heart for his people. Even though they had turned away,...
They Will Not Listen
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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...
The Importance of Obedience and Teaching
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The family is the first school for children. Even if we send them off to a school at some age, we as parents are called to be the primary teachers...
Over and Over and Over
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Today’s first reading contains one of the most beautiful prayers in all of Scripture. It is the prayer of Azariah from Daniel 3. Azariah and his two companions had been...
The First Christian
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Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. It's celebrated on March 25 because that is exactly 9 months from Christmas. So let me be the first to...
You Will Perish
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Today and for the next few Sundays in Lent, the readings at the Mass you attend may be different from the readings I will reflect on. The reason is that...
Lost and Found
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What a beautiful first reading we have today from Michah 7. The prophet says, “You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins.” When we confess our...
Being Good Tenants
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Have you ever rented an apartment, a room, a house or property? Perhaps you own property and lease it to tenants. In today's Gospel reading from Matthew 21, Jesus tells...
The Danger of Riches
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In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 16, Jesus tells the Pharisees a story about a beggar named Lazarus and a rich man. Both of them die and wind up in...
Standing in the Gap
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Jeremiah had a tough gig. You’ve heard the old expression “No good deed goes unpunished.” Well, Jeremiah was a living example of that. He was a prophet, a messenger. All...
Protector, Provider, Teacher
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph. In our first reading from 2 Samuel, God says that his Son would spring from the line of David. “I will...
The Power of Giving
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Lent is a great time for us to come clean - to look inward and admit our faults to God. We see this in our first reading from Daniel 9...
Lent and Transfiguration
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Today’s Gospel reading is Luke’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...
Deserving?
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In today’s first reading from Deuteronomy 26, agreements are made. The people make an agreement with God, to walk in his ways, obey his commandments and hearken to his voice....
Not Fair!
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I just love the first reading today from Ezekiel 18. The Lord God says, “You say, ‘The Lord’s way is not fair!’ Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my...