A Mother’s Heart
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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 of His mother the following day. Our Gospel reading today is from Luke 2, the story of the finding of the child Jesus in the […]
A Heart for You
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Today is the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the first reading from Ezekiel 34, God uses the imagery of a shepherd. “I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God.” We see this very same imagery in the Gospel reading from Luke 15. Jesus […]
A Marriage Made in Heaven
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In our Gospel reading today from Mark 12, Jesus is asked, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” His answer may have surprised His hearers. Do you know what His answer was? Read Mark 12:28-34 to find out! Today’s first reading from Tobit 6-8 is the story of the marriage of Tobiah and Sarah. […]
God of the Living
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In today’s first reading from Tobit 3, we’re introduced to one of the archangels, Raphael. God hears the prayers of Tobit and Sarah, and sends Raphael to carry out His will. In the Gospel reading from Mark 12, some Saducees come to Jesus with yet another trick question. They pose to him a scenario where […]
Character
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In the first reading today from Tobit 2, we see Tobit go through some real hardship in his life. He loses his sight for four years. How would this effect you? In a moment, we’ll talk about how it effected Tobit. The Gospel passage today is from Mark 12. Jesus is asked about whether it […]
Courage To Do The Right Thing
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Our first reading today is the beginning of the book of Tobit. This is one of those books that is found in the Catholic Bible, but not in a Protestant one. (Unless it contained the Apocryphal or Deuterocanonical books.) We’ll talk about today’s story in a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 12, Jesus […]
The Body and Blood of Christ
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. The readings for today all point toward the Eucharist in an interesting way. In the first reading from Genesis 14, we see the brief story of Melchizedek, the priest/king who was a type of Christ. What did Melchizedek bring as […]
By What Authority?
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Do you pray for wisdom? I hope so. When we pray for wisdom, we will receive it. (Usually in small doses, at least in my case.) Today’s first reading from Sirach 51 tells of the benefits of praying for wisdom. In the Gospel reading today from Mark 11, the chief priests, the scribes and the […]
Open Home, Open Heart
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Today is the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We recall when Mary, who was pregnant with the Lord Jesus, went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. There are two options for a first reading. I recommend that you read them both. You’ll be glad […]
Jesus is Calling!
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In the first reading today from Sirach 42, the sacred author does something that we should do always. He recalls the great things that God has done. In the Gospel reading today from Mark 10, Jesus has an encounter with Bartimaeus, a blind man. Bartimaeus, a street beggar, begins crying out, “Son of David, have […]
Life as a Ransom
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Today’s first reading from Sirach 36 is a beautiful prayer. Don’t miss it! In the Gospel reading today from Mark 10, James and John come to Jesus and ask that they be able to sit at his right and his left in his glory. After a bit of bickering, Jesus tells the Apostles, “Whoever wishes to […]
Your Spiritual ROI
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The golden thread that runs through today’s readings could probably be summed up in this phrase: God will not be outdone in generosity. In the first reading from Sirach 35, we read “Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. For the Lord is one who always […]
Remembering the Heroes
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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 you to read them. There is, as always, much richness. I want to take a moment to ruminate on the holiday that we celebrate in […]
Trinity Sunday
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Today we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity; three Persons, one God. The readings today reflect that. The first reading from Proverbs we see an inkling of the Trinity: “When the Lord established the heavens I was there…” And our Gospel reading is from John 16, where Jesus talks about the Father and […]
Children and Jesus
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In the first reading today from Sirach 17, we get kind of a short history of man. We see that God “put the fear of himself upon their hearts.” In essence, God has set into our DNA the knowledge that there is a God, and that we ain’t Him. Unfortunately, that message seems to get […]
True Friendship
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In the Gospel reading today from Mark 10, Jesus teaches about marriage. The Catholic Church has always held fast to these teachings. Sure, they are difficult. But they come from Christ Jesus Himself. I hope that you will join me in praying for marriages daily. Marriage is under attack on so many fronts. Pray that […]
Today’s Conversion
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In the Gospel reading today from Mark 9, Jesus lets us know how dangerous it is to lead others into sin. “It would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” While we must strive for our own holiness, it is also incumbent […]
Wisdom
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Wisdom is an interesting concept. In our first reading today from Sirach 4 we get a brief primer on Wisdom. (Note the capital letter. The sacred author speaks of Wisdom as a personal pronoun, “her.”) In the Gospel reading from Mark 9, John tells Jesus that the disciples tried to prevent someone from driving out […]
Trust is Rewarded
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In the Gospel reading today from Mark 9, Jesus’ disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. When Jesus asks them what they are arguing about, they go silent. No doubt they were embarrassed to admit to Jesus that they were probably stating their cases as to why they were the greatest. Jesus clears up […]
The Power of Prayer
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Welcome back to Ordinary Time! Lent is a distant memory and the Easter season is done. For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be going through the Book of Sirach for our first readings. This is a book that you won’t find in a Protestant bible unless it contains the Apochrypha, or deuterocanonical […]
Life in the Spirit
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Happy Pentecost! It has been fifty days since Easter. On this day we commemorate the sending of the Holy Spirit into the world. Today is considered the birthday of the Church. Praise God! There are two options for a second reading today, one from 1 Corinthians 12 and one from Romans. In each of them, […]
Following Jesus
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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 reading from John 21, Peter sees John coming toward him and Jesus and asks Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus’ reply is interesting. Jesus tells […]
Jesus’ Question to You
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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 declines, knowing that God is sending him to Rome. So Paul appeals his case to the Emperor. Our Gospel reading is from John 21, one […]
God’s Love in Us
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St. Paul found himself in the midst of an awful lot of difficult situations, ones that most of us could not even comprehend. In today’s first reading from Acts 22 and 23, Paul finds himself in front of the Sanhedrin. He makes a comment that riles up the crowd so much that the commander of […]
Wolves Will Come
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St. Paul finishes up his farewell speech to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus in today’s first reading from Acts 20. After he is done, there were many tears, for they knew that they would never see him again. In the Gospel reading from John 17, Jesus asks the father to “consecrate them (the […]
The History of Apostolic Succession
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Matthias. The two readings are ones that we have already had during the Easter season. The Gospel is from John 15, where Jesus says, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain…” […]
Jesus Wins Out
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In today’s first reading from Acts, Paul runs into a group of believers who have not yet received the Holy Spirit. In fact, they hadn’t even heard of a Holy Spirit. So Paul lays hands on them and they received the gift of the Spirit. In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that they will […]
One in Love
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We call the “Our Father” The Lord’s Prayer. And rightly so, since it is the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. But down through the ages, theologians have also thought of today’s Gospel reading from John 17 as The Lord’s Prayer. This is Jesus’ great prayer to the Father for unity among believers. “Father, […]
A Scripture Scholar
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In our Gospel reading today from John 16, Jesus again speaks about asking the Father in the name of Jesus. He promises the disciples that “the hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father.” In the first reading today, we meet […]
Do Not Be Silent
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You may think that baldness is a recent fad. If that is the case, then St. Paul would fit right in! We see in today’s first reading from Acts 18 that, because of a vow he took, he had his head shaved. In the Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus equates the grief that His […]
The Ascension of the Lord
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension. In most dioceses around the country, today is not a Holy Day of obligation. For most, this feast will be celebrated this Sunday. If you are in a diocese or archdiocese in New York, Boston, Hartford, Newark, Philadelphia or the state of Nebraska (as well as […]
God is Always Near
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Today in our first reading from Acts 17, we see Paul giving one of his great speeches, this time to the Greeks in the Areopagus. More on his message in a moment. In the Gospel reading from John 16, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit, telling the Apostles, “But when he comes, the Spirit of […]
Conviction
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Another jailbreak in our first reading today from Acts 16. Today God uses a mighty earthquake to break the chains of Paul and Silas. And the happenings after the jailbreak are amazing! Be sure to check it out. For our Gospel reading, we’re back in John 16, as Jesus speaks more about the Advocate, the […]
Open Ears, Open Hearts
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In Acts 16 today, Paul and Luke find themselves in the city of Thyatira, where they meet a woman named Lydia. More on that encounter in a moment. In the Gospel from John 15, Jesus talks about sending the Advocate, the Spirit of truth. He says, “I have told you this so that you may not […]
To Keep or Not to Keep
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In our Gospel reading today from John 14, Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word…whoever does not love me does not keep my words.” Do you love Jesus? Of course you do! So do I. Yet I see this saying of Jesus and it gives me pause. Jesus had some very tough words, […]
Got Hate?
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A provocative title today, huh? Jesus spoke often about love. It’s kind of what He was all about. But today we hear Him speak of hate. And not just generically, but very specifically. He tells the disciples, “Because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the […]
Asking in Jesus’ Name
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Today is the Feast of Saints Philip and James. Philip was first a disciple of John the Baptist, then followed Jesus. James was the son of Alphaeus and a cousin of the Lord. He was the bishop of Jerusalem and authored an epistle. He died with a martyr’s crown in 62 A.D. In the Gospel […]
The Joy of the Lord
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In today’s first reading from Acts 15, we see that the early Church was hierarchical. There was a dispute about whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised and follow the Mosaic laws in order to be saved. Paul and Barnabas knew that this was not a matter that could be settled on a local level. […]
The Nick of Sin
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In our first reading today from Acts 15, we see more controversy in the early Church about whether or not new believers needed to be circumcised. To settle the matter, Paul and Barnabas go to Jerusalem to bring the matter to the Apostles. Why? Because the hierarchy needed to decide the matter. In today’s Gospel […]
Christ’s Peace
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In the first reading today from Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas tell the people, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” This is a message that is not very popular. Therefore, many today want to avoid this part of the message. They want to paint Christianity as […]
The Cult of Personality
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In the Gospel reading today from John 14, Jesus says, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” We all like to think that we love Jesus, right? But are we keeping His word? Are we living out […]
Love One Another
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In the Gospel reading today from John 13, Judas has just left the upper room. Jesus says to the Eleven, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.” Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it. The new commandment, wrapped up in three words. Love […]
Seeing God
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Paul and Barnabas lived a pretty crazy life. In our first reading today from Acts 13, the Jews are filled with jealousy because of the crowds that Paul and Barnabas were attracting. So the Jews had them thrown out of the city. Suffice it to say that Paul and Barnabas were undeterred. In the Gospel […]
Do Not Let Your Hearts be Troubled
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In the first reading from Acts 13 today, Paul continues his message of salvation through Jesus in the temple at Antioch. In the Gospel reading today, we’re in John 14, at the Last Supper. Jesus tells the Apostles, “Where I am going, you know the way.” Confused, Thomas says, “Master, we do not know where […]
The Devouring Devil
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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Mark. Mark was a disciple of St. Peter. Peter’s teachings are the basis for Mark’s gospel. Mark accompanied St. Paul on his first missionary journey and was also a traveling companion of St. Peter, as we see in today’s first reading. Of course, our Gospel reading today […]
Sent Forth by the Spirit
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In our first reading today from Acts, we see Barnabas and Saul being “set apart” by the Holy Spirit and sent out to proclaim the Word of God. In the Gospel reading today from John 12, Jesus says, “I came into the world as light” and “I did not come to condemn the world but […]
Calling Ourselves Christians
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In Acts 11 today, we see the story of a growing Church. People in great numbers are turning to the Lord. Barnabas brings Saul with him to Antioch, and they stay there for a whole year, preaching and teaching. Acts 11:26 tells us “it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.” In […]
The Abundant Life
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Another awesome day in the Scriptures! In the first reading from Acts 11, Peter has a vision. He is then visited by some men who were sent to him by the Holy Spirit. It is then that Peter realizes that salvation if for the Gentiles, too. This was major stuff. Peter says something that we […]
Knowing the Shepherd’s Voice
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Today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It is a great day to pray for our bishops, priests, and for vocations. In today’s Gospel reading from John 10, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice.” Many of us today, if not the vast majority, have never really had any experience with sheep. So we may […]
The Words of Eternal Life
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In the first reading today from Acts 9, we see a blossoming Church. It is growing rapidly, even with the great persecution she was suffering. Peter raises a woman from the dead, and because of that, many came to believe. In the Gospel reading today, we finish up in John 6. After Jesus talked about […]