Even the Wise Fall
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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 first Jesus refuses, but the woman persists. Jesus grants her request because of her faith and persistence. In the first reading today from 1 Kings […]
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014
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Gus talked with Fr. Jeff Putthoff, SJ about his ministry, Hopeworks ‘N Camden. They’re doing wonderful work in one of the poorest and most violent cities in America. Find out more at www.hopeworks.org Gus discussed the results of the recent survey commissioned by the Vatican for every diocese in the world. Gus’ diocese recently released […]
Things that Defile
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When I was a kid, my mom always used to use the phrase “The Queen of Sheba” to describe a person (or sometimes a dog) who thought they were all that. Well, in today’s first reading, we meet the real Queen of Sheba. She came to meet King Solomon and test him to see if […]
Asking for 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. In our Gospel reading from Mark 6, we see great crowds coming to find Jesus. “His heart was moved with pity for them, for they […]
The Example of David
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For the past few weeks we have been reading about the life and times of King David. What a fascinating man! Our first reading today is from Sirach 47. It is a brief synopsis of the life of David. The Gospel reading today recounts the beheading of John the Baptist. We can learn much from […]
Working Without a Net
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David had a long and adventurous life. In today’s first reading from 1 Kings 2, we read about the death of David. “The length of David’s reign over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.” Upon his death, his son Solomon was seated on the throne. In […]
They Took Offense
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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 divert attention and deflect blame. It is refreshing to see leaders take responsibility. That’s what happens in today’s first reading from 2 Samuel 24. Check […]
Healing 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, yet David never considered him such. He always loved him like a son. So when word gets to David that Absalom had been killed, David […]
Going Where Jesus Needs Us
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King David lived such an interesting life. As we have seen, it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns. He had a large share of hardship heaped upon him, some, of course, of his own making. In today’s first reading from 2 Samuel 15 and 16, David’s own son, Absalom, is trying to kill him and wrest […]
Presenting 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 reading from Malachi 3, the Lord says, “And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek.” And in the second reading […]
Crime and Punishment
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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 boat when a violent squall comes and crashes waves over the boat. Jesus was sleeping. The disciples wake Him up and ask, “Teacher, do you […]
God at Work
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You’ve heard the old saying, “The Lord works in mysterious ways.” So true. I’m sure you’ve experienced that in your life. More in a moment. In our first reading today, we see the story of King David beginning an adulterous affair with Bathsheba. David gets her pregnant and to cover up his sin, he has […]
Our Measuring Stick
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King David was “a man after God’s own heart.” God had promised him that his kingdom would last forever, through the Messiah which would come from his line. In today’s first reading from 2 Samuel 7, David asks for God’s blessing upon him and his house. In the Gospel reading from Mark 4, Jesus tells […]
Johnny Gospelseed
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In today’s first reading from 2 Samuel, Nathan the prophet gives David a message from the Lord. God promises that from David’s line would come the Messiah. “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever.” In the Gospel reading today from Mark 4, Jesus tells the parable […]
Enthusiasm for God
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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 and sister and mother.” Let’s pray that we are among that group, and that it will continue to grow. David was a man after God’s […]
Division and Unity
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In the first reading today from 2 Samuel 5, we get a brief synopsis of the timeline of the kingship of David. In the Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus is accused of casting demons by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons. Jesus’ response talks about how a house divided cannot stand. “If […]
Gone Fishin’
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Part of the first reading today from Isaiah is one that we see during Christmas. And in the second reading from 1 Corinthians 1, St. Paul makes a plea for unity among the believers. In the Gospel reading today fromMatthew 4, we read about the call of the first disciples. Simon and Andrew were brothers, […]
Constant Conversion
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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 9, the account is told in third person. Luke, the author of Acts, recounts the story. However, in chapter 22 of Acts, St. Paul tells […]
You’re Right, I’m Wrong
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David and Saul had a tumultuous relationship. Saul hated David, and hunted him down to kill him. You would think that David would share this animosity. But not so. More in a sec. Our Gospel reading today is from Mark 3; the listing of the Twelve Apostles. Saul was hunting David down. He steps into […]
The Scourge of Jealousy
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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 a moment. In our Gospel reading from Mark 3, Jesus has more run-ins with unclean spirits. Each time He cast them out, he warns them […]
Standing Up 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. At Catholic churches across the United States, today is observed as a day of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion, and of prayer for the […]
God Sees the Heart
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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 questioned by the Pharisees about why his disciples are picking grain on the sabbath, something which was prohibited by the law. Jesus tells them, “The […]
The Importance of Obedience
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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 moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus talks about pouring new wine into old wineskins. It just doesn’t work. What He means is […]
Call to Holiness
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In the second reading today, we read the introduction of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes “to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Called to be holy. As […]
Call to Holiness
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In the second reading today, we read the introduction of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. He writes “to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be holy, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. Called to be holy. As […]
Is There a Doctor in the House?
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The people of Israel insisted that God give them a king. Despite warnings to the contrary, they persisted. In today’s first reading from 1 Samuel 9, we meet the new king, Saul. In our Gospel reading today from Mark 2, we read about the call of Levi, or Matthew. Levi has Jesus over for dinner. […]
Everyone Else is Doing It!
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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 a moment. In the Gospel reading from Mark 2, we read the story of four men who bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. The house […]
God and Defeat
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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, […]
Hearing and Listening
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Have you ever heard God speak to you? I believe God speaks to us in many different ways. I’ve talked to a number of people who tell me that God spoke to them audibly. They didn’t just “feel” the voice of God, they literally heard it. I believe that has happened to me once or […]
Fervent Prayer
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God wants to know our deepest desires. So we should pray for those. More on that in a moment. In our Gospel reading today from Mark 1, Jesus expels an unclean spirit from a man. The people around him were amazed, and recognized that Jesus taught and acted “with authority.” In our first reading today […]
Come After Me
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Welcome back to Ordinary Time! I hope that we will not take the name of this liturgical season literally. What I mean by that is that I hope that we consider every day that we have EXTRAORDINARY!! God loves you so much, and wants to fill your life with blessings. What’s ordinary about that?! In […]
God’s Will and Baptism
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Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. We see that moment where John the Baptist has just baptized Jesus when “the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice comes from heaven and says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” As Catholics, […]
On Increasing and Decreasing
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Catholics believe in different “kinds” of sin. Mortal sin and venial sin. Venial sins are still sins, but not as serious as mortal sins. Mortal sins are those sins that separate us from God. Serious sins where we willfully and intentionally turn our backs on God. We find this notion in today’s first reading from […]
Cleansing and Forgiveness
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“Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” That question opens today’s first reading from 1 John 5. Who indeed? I hope that “one” is you! In our Gospel reading today from Luke 5, a leper comes to Jesus asking to be cleansed. […]
Loving and Lying
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1 John is an amazing book. I always get so much out of it when I read it. Today is no exception. In fact, today, like every day, St. John is speaking directly to me! He even has the nerve to call me a liar! More on that in a sec. Today’s Gospel reading from […]
Of Fear and Love
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Strong words from St. John today in our first reading from 1 John 4. St. John talks about fear. More on that in a moment. We see fear, too, come into play in our Gospel reading. In Mark 6, we see Jesus walking on the sea. When the disciples see him, they were overcome with […]
Love into Action
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In the first reading today from 1 John 4, St. John writes yet again about love. “Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God…In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” In our Gospel passage from Mark […]
An Unpopular Message
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Who is in you? An odd question, perhaps, but the answer should be Christ. There is a constant spiritual battle going on, and you are in the midst of it. That’s why you must always remember part of today’s first reading from 1 John. “The one who is in you is greater than the one […]
Wise Men Still Seek Him
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Today is the Feast of Epiphany. Our Gospel reading tells the story of the Three Kings, or the Three Wise Men. They heard that the King of the Jews had been born and followed a star to find him. King Herod tries to trick them into giving up the location of the child. But they […]
Looking for Something?
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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 beginning.” We know that we all sin. So do we all belong to the Devil? In a sense we do when we sin. Sin is […]
Child of God
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Good Morning, 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 1 John 2 and 3. In the Gospel reading from John 1, we hear John the Baptist say words that every priest repeats at every […]
Remain in Him
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More great advice from St. John in today’s first reading from 1 John 2. More on that in a moment. Our Gospel reading for today is from the Gospel of St. John. We see the people asking John the Baptist to identify himself, “Who are you?” He admits that he is not the Christ, only […]
Another Year, Another Resolution
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Here we are at the start of another new year. Happy New Year! I have to say that 2013 was an amazing year for me and my family and our ministry. God is good! We celebrated the birth of our first grandchild, Beckett, in August. I was blessed to continue to host Seize the Day […]
A Mind-Blowing Message
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For today’s first reading, we are back in 1 John 2. Today St. John writes about the antichrist. Very interesting stuff, especially for those hard core “end-timers.” Those are the people who keep telling us that we are in the end times. Well, 1900 years ago, St. John said the same thing. Read today’s reading. St. […]
Loving the World
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In today’s first reading, we get some great advice from St. John. More on that in a moment. The Gospel reading today is from Luke 2. Today we read about the prophetess Anna. She was a very old woman and “never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer.” Like Simeon, […]
A Holy Family
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Today is the Feast of the Holy Family, always the Sunday after Christmas. All of the readings today talk about family. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 2, we read about how Joseph took his wife and Son to Egypt to escape from Herod’s persecution. Upon returning to Israel, they settled in Nazareth. Chances are […]
The Blood of Children
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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 of Christ. We read about this today in the Gospel reading from Matthew 2. Matthew tells us that this fulfilled what had been said through […]
The Beloved Disciple
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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 […]
The First Martyr
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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 […]
It’s About the Birth of a Child
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Merry Christmas to you and your family! The big day has finally arrived. All the shopping is done. Now is the day to go to church, to thank God for the gift of his Son, for our redemption and our salvation. A day to open presents, spoil our kids and just be with family. We […]