Be Sure to Stretch!
Posted on
A couple of widows make an appearance in today’s readings. In the first reading, Elijah has an encounter with a widow. Because of her faithfulness in believing the prophet, God...
God or Mammon
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Luke 16, Jesus speaks again about our relationship with things. “You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is the Greek transliteration of a Hebrew...
Zeal is Good!
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of he Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. This Basilica, constructed by the Emperor Constantine, is called the mother church of Christendom. The readings today...
Repentance and Joy
Posted on
St. Paul had some serious bona fides. He mentions this in today's first reading from Philippians 3. In the end, his resume meant nothing. Only Christ. In the Gospel reading...
The Cost
Posted on
In the first reading today from Philippians 2, St. Paul writes, “Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in...
Excuse Me
Posted on
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” That’s...
No Quid Pro Quo
Posted on
1 comment
There's a thread that runs through today's readings: humility. In the first reading from Philippians 2, St. Paul says, "Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves." In today’s Gospel...
Not Far from the Kingdom
Posted on
1 comment
In today's Gospel passage from Mark 12, Jesus is asked which is the first of all the commandments. He answers with two: You shall love the Lord, your God and...
The Christian Tension
Posted on
2 comments
As Christians, heaven is our goal. We want to spend eternity with God. And we know that heaven is going to be perfection - as in, way better than this...
All Souls' Day
Posted on
Today we celebrate All Souls' Day. On this feast (and throughout the month of November) we pray for the souls of the faithful departed. To many non-Catholic Christians, this seems...
Saint Gus?
Posted on
1 comment
Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. For the past 20 years, whenever this day falls on a weekday, I have a tradition of calling everyone with whom I speak...
A Message for Dads
Posted on
1 comment
In today’s first reading, St. Paul addresses dads. Any time I tackle this topic it is fraught with peril, mainly because so many households now are single parent households where...
Understanding Husbands and Wives
Posted on
In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 13, Jesus tells two short parables about the Kingdom of God. The first compares the Kingdom to a mustard seed, the other to yeast....
Then and Now
Posted on
1 comment
In today’s first reading from Ephesians 4, St. Paul has a couple of challenges for us. Here are his two challenges: “Be imitators of God,” and “Live as children of...
An Approachable God
Posted on
Our Gospel reading today from Mark 10 is about Bartimaeus, a blind beggar that wanted Jesus to restore his sight. He tells Jesus what he wants, and Jesus gives him...
Another Chance
Posted on
1 comment
In the Gospel reading today from Luke 13, Jesus tells an interesting parable. A landowner has a fig tree that has borne no fruit after three years. He orders it...
Living the Call
Posted on
Today’s first reading is from Ephesians 4:1-6. You may notice that these six verses are all one sentence. St. Paul is famous for his run-on sentences. It can sometimes be...
Fired Up!
Posted on
In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 12, Jesus says, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” Of course, Jesus isn’t...
Your Responsibility
Posted on
1 comment
In today’s first reading from Ephesians 3, St. Paul talks about the gifts that God has given him, and his responsibility to use them properly. This is a theme that...
No Longer Strangers
Posted on
We’re back in Ephesians 2 for our first reading today. St. Paul addresses the people as “you who once were far off,” and “you who were far off.” Notice that...
Rich in What Matters
Posted on
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus has an encounter with a man which prompts Him to warn the gathered crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one...
Living By Serving
Posted on
Our Gospel reading today from Mark 10 features an interesting story. The sons of Zebedee, James and John, come and ask Jesus that “in your glory we may sit one...
Denial
Posted on
In the first reading today from Ephesians 1:15-23, St. Paul prays that “the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to...
Why You're Here
Posted on
Do you know why you're here? Yes, it's one of those existential questions. But I believe we find the answer in today's first reading from Ephesians 1. "In Christ we...
Saint Luke
Posted on
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Luke. St. Luke is the author of two books of the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles....
The Fruit of the Spirit
Posted on
Jesus was never one to mince words. We see this again today in the Gospel reading from Luke 11, where He is pronouncing woes on the Pharisees. When a scholar...
External vs. Internal
Posted on
God doesn’t care about anyone’s background. You don’t have to have any kind of “pedigree” to give your life to Christ. St. Paul puts it like this in today’s first...
Christ Sets Us Free
Posted on
In today’s Gospel reading from Luke 11, Jesus says, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of...
Then Who Can be Saved?
Posted on
1 comment
In our first reading today, we read about prudence and wisdom. These are certainly two things that I wish I had in greater abundance. How can that happen? Check out...
Blessings for All
Posted on
1 comment
We hear more about justification and faith in today’s first reading from Galatians 3. “For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.” Good news, no? We...
Faith
Posted on
In the first reading today from Galatians 3, the word "faith" is used seven times (in just eight verses). St. Paul writes, "Christ ransomed us from the curse of the...
Ask, Seek, Knock
Posted on
How would you feel if someone called you stupid? Probably much like the Galatians felt when Paul called them that in his letter to them. Check it out in today's...
Our Daily Bread
Posted on
1 comment
St. Paul was a man who always stood for the truth and wasn't afraid - of anything. In today's first reading from Galatians 2, he recounts how he challenged Peter...
The Better Part
Posted on
After his conversion, St. Paul did not immediately meet with the approval of the Apostles. In fact, he did not even meet with any of them for three years. We...
People Pleasers
Posted on
In the first reading today, we begin a journey through St. Paul's Letter to the Galatians. The Gospel reading from Luke 10 is a story that I hope is familiar...
God's Marriage Mistake?
Posted on
1 comment
In today's Gospel reading from Mark 10, Jesus quotes a passage from today's first reading from Genesis 2. “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to...
Blessed are We
Posted on
Today's first reading is the end of the story of Job. After having undergone more severe testing than anyone, Job never broke faith. And for that he was greatly rewarded,...
Two Rules in Life
Posted on
In the Gospel reading today from Luke 10, we hear more of Jesus’ words to the seventy-two as He sends them out. “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever...
Prayer of St. Francis
Posted on
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. So, rather than comment on the Scriptures, I’m going to go a bit out of format for today. If you’re...
Don't Look Back
Posted on
3 comments
Do you converse with God? I hope so – and regularly. Have you ever questioned God? Job ponders that in today’s first reading from Job 9. In today’s Gospel reading...
Feast of The Holy Guardian Angels
Posted on
3 comments
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Guardian Angels. In the optional first reading for the feast day from Exodus, we see God telling the people that he is sending...
Like Job
Posted on
For our first reading today, we’re in the first chapter of the book of Job, Job 1:6-22. Job is the most faith-filled man on the earth. In fact, the Lord...
Pluck It Out
Posted on
1 comment
Scathing words to the rich today from James 5. Funny thing about wealth, isn’t it? We work so hard to accumulate it here on earth, to the point where it...
A War for Souls
Posted on
Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael – the Archangels. We have two options for the first reading. The first, from Daniel 7, contains a vision...
An Appointed Time
Posted on
2 comments
Today’s first reading is from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. “There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every thing under the heavens.” If you’re a baby boomer like me,...
Nothing New
Posted on
In today's first reading from Ecclesiastes 1, the sacred author says, "Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!" He goes on to say, "What has been, that will be; what...
Two Things
Posted on
If you could ask God for just two things, what would they be? Solomon does just that today in our first reading from Proverbs 30. And in the Gospel from...
Active Christianity
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus' mother and brothers can't get near Him because of the crowds. When informed about this, Jesus replies, "My mother and my brothers...
No Secrets
Posted on
In today's Gospel reading from Luke 8, Jesus said, "For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to...
The Greatest
Posted on
Jesus’ Twelve Apostles were all men. That means there was a lot of testosterone around. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 9, Jesus asks them what they were talking about...