The Reach of Sin
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Familiarity breeds contempt. We've all heard that old saying. We see it play out today in the life of Jesus in our Gospel reading from Mark 6. The people most...
God's Will and Our Children
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Today’s readings center around children. In the first reading from 2 Samuel 18, we see the tragic story of King David’s son Absalom. Absalom had become his father’s mortal enemy,...
Hearing the Uncomfortable
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In today's readings, we see two people who hear things that probably made them uncomfortable. In the first reading from 2 Samuel 15 and 16, a man comes upon David...
Harden Not Your Hearts
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The first reading and the Gospel today have to do with how God speaks to us. In the first reading from Deuteronomy, God promises he will raise one like Moses...
That Painful Mirror
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David had sinned greatly. This did not escape the LORD’s notice. More in a moment. In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus and His disciples are in a boat...
Cowardice
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Today is the Feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. Both were co-laborers with St. Paul, and both received letters from him which are included in the New Testament. (There are...
Knocked Off Your Horse
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Today is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. We see the story of Saul’s (Paul’s birth name) conversion in two places in Acts of the Apostles. In chapter...
Seeds of Grace
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Today's Gospel reading is the parable of the sower from Mark 4. Jesus tells a story of a man who goes out and sows seeds all over. The seeds fall...
Praising with Abandon
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When it comes to God, the family is pretty large. What do I mean? In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus says, “For whoever does the will of God is my brother...
Praying for Life
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Today is the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America. A sad day, indeed. In the U.S., today is the Day of Prayer for...
The Call to Repent
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The theme that runs through our readings today is repentance. In the first reading, Jonah goes through the great city of Nineveh and tells the people the time has come...
He is Out of His Mind
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For the first reading today, we start in 2 Samuel. Saul and his son, Jonathan, David’s best friend, have been killed in battle. David laments the death of these two...
Mercy
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King Saul and David had a real on again/off again relationship. In today's reading from 1 Samuel 24, we see it being off again. Saul is hunting David down. Saul...
Jealous
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Goliath was dead. You would think that King Saul would be overjoyed that David, one of his own, had slain the Philistine. And he was…for a short time. More in...
Defeating Your Golaith
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In the Gospel reading today from Mark 3, Jesus has another run-in with the Pharisees about the sabbath. Jesus asks them, “Is it lawful to do good ont he sabbath...
Not as Man Sees
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In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 16, we read about the anointing of David. More on that in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus is...
Obedience is Better
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In the first reading today from 1 Samuel 15, we see a bit of the sneakiness of King Saul. Samuel has to call him out on it. More in a...
Where is Jesus Staying?
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In today's Gospel reading from John 1, we read about the call of the first disciples. Two of John's disciples hear John say of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God."...
The Call of Levi
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Today's Gospel reading from Mark 2 is about the call of Levi. Not sure who Levi is? We know him better as Matthew. He was a tax collector. Jesus sees...
Be Careful What You Wish For
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If you have children (especially teenagers), you’ll relate to today’s reflection. More in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, we read the story of a paralytic lowered...
Lessons from Adversity
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When we choose to follow God, life ain’t always a bed of roses. I’m sure you’ve experienced this. Challenges still come our way. People we love get sick and die. Certainly there are times where we experience illness, pain, broken relationships, terrible defeats. It’s nothing new. In our first reading today from 1 Samuel 4, […]
Your Servant is Listening
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In the first reading today, we're in 1 Samuel 3, reading about the call of Samuel. It is a story that we can take lessons from. In the Gospel reading...
Deceptive Appearances
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Welcome back to Ordinary Time! Since the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord was yesterday, we begin Ordinary Time today. The first reading is from 1 Samuel 1:9-20. You...
The Baptism of the Lord
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Today marks the end of the Christmas season, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Today we read in Mark 1 about Jesus coming to John the Baptist to...
Awakening
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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...
The Process of Victory
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There are two options for a Gospel reading today. One is the genealogy of Jesus from Luke 3. The other is from Mark 1, where Jesus is baptized in the...
No Tracks in the Kingdom
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In our first reading from 1 John 3, St. John poses a difficult question. "If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how...
What are You Looking For?
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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...
Children of God
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Good Day, Child of God! Are you comfortable with that "title?" I certainly hope so, because that is what you are! So says St. John in our first reading from...
Your Identity
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In today's Gospel reading from John 1, the Jews send some priests and Levites to ask John the Baptist, "Who are you?" Be sure to read his answer. Who are...
A Resolution
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Happy New Year! Every year I make a Scriptural New Year's Resolution. I find a passage of Scripture that speaks to something I really need to work on in my...
Thoughts of the Heart
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Today is the Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas. It's a good day for us to consider the difference between the things we say and the thoughts of our...
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...
Disciple of 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 Book of Revelation. Our first reading today is from the beginning of St. John’s first letter. “We proclaim now…our fellowship is with the Father and […]
Enduring to the End
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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 the Gospel from Matthew 10, Jesus tells the disciples, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end […]
Christmas is Here!
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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. We would go wake up Mom and Dad, probably much earlier than they would have liked, and attack the presents under the tree with reckless […]
Holiday or Holy Day
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Isn’t it odd that Christmas Eve is one of the shortest days of the year? I know…there are 24 hours in every day. But the winter solstice was just a couple of days ago, and in North America, we have one of the shortest amounts of daylight today. I say that it’s odd because, even […]
A Message
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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. But Malachi also prophesies, “Lo, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the day of the Lord comes.” Jesus told the people that John […]
The Magnificat
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In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 1, we see Hannah giving up her only son to the service of the Lord. Eli, the priest, had prayed that Hannah might be granted the desire of her heart, a son. After Samuel was born, she gave him to Eli to be brought up to serve the […]
Blessed
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Blessings abound in today’s readings. Just try reading the first reading from Zephaniah 3 and not feel blessed. I suspect your reaction will be, “Thank you, Lord!” The Gospel reading today is the story of the Visitation from Luke 1. Mary goes to visit her pregnant, and much older, relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth, filled with the […]
The Virgin Birth
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A survey from 2013 shows some interesting facts about Americans. 68% of American adults believe that Jesus is God or the Son of God (same thing – it’s called the Trinity). Yet only 57% believe in the Virgin birth. There is quite a bit of division within Christianity these days. Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox all have […]
Speechless
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Today the Church gives us two stories of men whose births were announced by an angel, Samson and John the Baptist. There are many similarities between the two, as the readings show us. In the first reading from Judges 13, the angel of the Lord appears to Samson’s mother (whose name is never mentioned in […]
Monday, December 18, 2017
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As we head into Seize the Day’s Christmas/New Year’s break, Gus opens up the lines today to Tell Me Something Good. In an effort to beat back the Monday blues, Gus invites listeners to call in and share their recent blessings and answers to prayer.
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 reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is right and just in the land.” I’m sure that, looking at this prophecy, the people were […]
Rejoice!
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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 antiphon of the Introit Gaudete in Domino semper (Rejoice in the Lord always). The opening words of the second reading from 1 Thessalonians are these, […]
God of Surprises
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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 ask Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus answers and tells them that “Elijah has already come.” But the scribes […]
Friday, December 15, 2017
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Gus talks about what Pope Francis said in his Wednesday General Audience about Catholics who don’t attend mass regularly. He said being a good person isn’t enough. He said mass is where we, as Catholics, receive our strength. Gus asks listeners who’ve stopped going to mass at some point in their lives to call in […]
Wisdom and Her 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 go.” Going the way God wants us to go is rarely the easy way. But it is always the way of wisdom. In our Gospel […]
Thursday, December 14, 2017
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We lost a great priest last night, Fr. Andrew Joseph Apostoli, co-founder of the Franciscan Fathers of the Renewal, who died at the age of 75. For nearly 25 years, Fr. Apostoli hosted Sunday Night Prime on EWTN and was a prolific author and one of the foremost experts on the Fatima apparitions. In his […]
Not Forsaken
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Today in the first reading from Isaiah 41, we get a greater understanding of God’s hand at work in our lives. God says, “Fear not, I will help you.” The responsorial, from Psalm 145, drives this home…”The Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger, and of great kindness.” And in the Gospel reading from […]