What You've Signed On For
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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...
A Practicing Preacher?
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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...
How You (are) Measure(d)
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Today’s Gospel reading from Luke 6 is one of the most difficult in all of Scripture. Not difficult to understand; it is quite simple, really – but difficult to live...
What We Will Be
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For the Second Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading is the story of the Transfiguration from Mark 9. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up on the mountain and is “transfigured before...
Be Perfect??
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In today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 5, Jesus gives us more difficult fare. “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” As if...
Jesus' Teaching on Anger
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Today's Gospel reading is from Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount. It is Jesus' teaching on anger. The Sermon on the Mount is probably the most challenging teaching ever....
Christ's Church will Prevail
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Today is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. It is commemoration of the authority of the Pope (whomever occupies the Chair of Peter). In today’s Gospel reading from...
The Sign of Jonah
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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...
God Doesn't Do Something for Nothing
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Today's first reading is Isaiah 55:10-11. This passage is so important for us to understand, and is instrumental in my teaching about Seeds of Grace. "Just as from the heavens...
The Invisible Least
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In the first reading today from Leviticus 19, the Lord tells Moses to tell the people how to conduct themselves. Though not the Ten Commandments, this reading sounds similar. It...
Embrace 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....
The Call to Repentance
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In today's Gospel reading from Luke 5, we see the calling of Levi (Matthew). After Levi leaves his customs post to follow Jesus, he (Levi) has a banquet for Jesus...
A Pleasing Fast
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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...
What Profit?
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In today's first reading from Deuteronomy 30, we see a very familiar phrase: Choose life. Want to know how to choose life? Read it! In the Gospel reading from Luke...
To Dust You Shall Return
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Blessed Ash Wednesday! Today we begin our Lenten journey for 2024. Whatever you have chosen to do or give up (or a combination thereof), I pray that this will be...
Tempted
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In our first reading today from James 1, St. James talks about temptation. This is a subject that comes up at the end of the Lord’s Prayer. More in a...
The Joy of Trials
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For our first reading today, we begin the Letter of St. James. James is one of those books in the Bible that it would be very good for us to...
Lepers, All
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In the first reading today from Leviticus 13, we read about what will be done with lepers. He “shall keep his garments rent and his head bare, and shall muffle...
Satisfaction
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 8, we read about Jesus feeding the multitude. The Scripture says, "They all ate and were satisfied." We know that this miraculous feeding was...
Open Ears and Open Hearts
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Remember the American Civil War, when North and South were divided? In today's first reading we see the beginning of the division of Israel into the Northern Kingdom and the...
No One is Exempt
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In our Gospel reading today from Mark 7, a woman comes to Jesus asking Him to heal her daughter. The woman is a Greek, not a child of Israel. At...
Breathless
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 7, Jesus declares all foods clean, negating the many dietary laws of the Jews. He says it is not what goes into one's mouth...
Jesus' Condemnation of tradition
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In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 8, Solomon stands before the altar in the magnificent temple that he had built and offers up a prayer to God. This is...
Jesus' Healing Power
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Solomon has taken over as king after the death of his father, David. In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 8, we read about the ark of the covenant being...
Looking for Jesus
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In the Gospel reading today from Mark 1, Jesus leaves early in the morning, before the sun came up, to go off to a deserted place to pray. Simon and...
The First Step Toward Wisdom
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In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 3, we meet Solomon. Solomon’s father, David, had just died. The son had ascended to the throne of Israel. More in a moment....
The Presentation of Our Children
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. The Jewish people “presented” their children to the Lord in the temple shortly after their birth. In the first...
They Preached Repentance
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In the Gospel reading from Mark 6, we see Jesus sending out the Twelve. He tells them what they need to do. So what do they do? “So they went...
Offended
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Taking responsibility seems to be something that has gotten lost these days. I suppose that has always been true in some measure. It seems people, especially leaders, always want to...
Family Life, and Death
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In today's readings, we see two stories about life and death in a family. In the first reading from 2 Samuel, David's son Absalom is killed. Absalom had been hunting...
Legion
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In today’s first reading from 2 Samuel 15, a man comes alongside David and begins cursing and throwing stones at him and his soldiers. One of David’s soldiers asks permission...
Amazed by Jesus
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus casts and unclean spirit out of a man. The people's reaction? "All were amazed..." Jesus was amazing then. He's still amazing today....
The Consequences of Sin
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Jesus cares about every area of our lives – our welfare, our hopes and dreams. Jesus cares. In the Gospel reading today, the disciples question that. They are in a...
Stir Into Flame
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Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saints Timothy and Titus. It is a special day for my parish, as I attend St. Timothy Parish. Because it is a shared...
Conversion: A Never-ending Process
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. Jesus’ words from today’s Gospel reading from Mark 16 are ones that St. Paul took seriously. Jesus said, “Go...
Sowing 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...
Dancing Hearts
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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...
How Satan Plunders
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In today's first reading from 2 Samuel 5, we see David being anointed as king of Israel. In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus is accused of driving out...
Believe in the Gospel
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, we read about Jesus beginning His public ministry. He opens His public ministry with these words: "This is the time of fulfillment. The...
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...
David's Example of 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...
Jealousy and Envy
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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...
Of Books and Covers
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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...
What's in a Name?
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Name changes in the Scriptures are not real common, especially when that name change is given by God. You better believe that a great significance is attached. We see one...
Into the Unknown
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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...
The Danger of Following the Herd
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You would think that as God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel would enjoy being different, set apart. Uh…not so much. We see this in today’s first reading. More in...
Fight Manfully!
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In today's Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus heals a leper. In our first reading from 1 Samuel 4, the Israelites go to battle with the Philistines. When the Philistines...
Everyone is Looking
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Today's first reading from 1 Samuel 3 is the story of the call of Samuel. When the LORD calls Samuel, he doesn't know what's going on. So Eli the priest...
Pouring Out Your Troubles
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In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 1, Jesus casts an unclean spirit out of a man while in the synagogue in Capernaum. The people recognized the authority that Jesus had,...