Reflections on the Sunday readings from the Catholic Lectionary for Mass. Includes homilies, sermons, and other thoughts.
Oberammergau Teaches Us to Hope in the Cross It was the year 1632 and Central Europe was suffering through the ravages of the Thirty Years’ War which had left the …
Praying With the Rites of Holy Week As the most holy Three Days of the year begin this evening, I offer the talk I gave last night to those preparing …
Who Would Do Such a Deed? Today we celebrate both the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as well as his shameful crucifixion and apparent defeat. That’s a lot to …
Top Tips for Being a More Perfect Penitent Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve been to confession. There are lots of reasons that people can fall away from the …
The key for the prodigal son was to stop, realize how far away he was from where he needed to be, and then deciding to do something about it.
Humility Leads to Healing In today’s first reading, Naaman the Syrian gives us all an example of what we need to do if we desire healing from God. Despite being …
For both St. Ignatius and Moses, becoming aware and asking “Why?” ultimately led them to an encounter with God. The same can be true for us.
Measure for Measure Today’s first reading from the prophet Daniel gives us a beautiful example of humility before God. When we humbly admit our sinfulness, it is then that God …
Peculiar, Holy, and Perfect Praying over the scriptures today, I began wondering about what was meant by saying that we a people that God has made “peculiarly” his own. A …
The spiritual life develops similar to an Olympic athlete. You don’t start with 8 flips and 5 twists skiing downhill. You start small.
Overcoming Spiritual Desolation with St. Ignatius Many people speak of the great joy they find in their relationship with God. You can see how alive they are with the Spirit. …
We’re On a Mission from God God tells us today through the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” John Henry Cardinal Newman reminds us …
Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul
Atop the Washington Monument, the highest stone in the entire city bears the simple message, Laus Deo, “Praise be to God.”
Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time
Rather than focus on one historical event such as Christmas or Easter, this season calls us to journey with Jesus though his public ministry.
Friday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
Monday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time
The movie WALL-E provides a cautionary tale that we can get so used to life as it is that we miss the good news when it comes, like Herod.
Discover the history and importance of the ‘Mother of God’ title in the Catholic Church as we celebrate Christmas.
The Word Became Flesh God was always a Trinity of persons from all eternity. The second person of the trinity, the Son, always existed. Yet, we celebrate at Christmas that …
In the Light with St. Thomas Becket St. Thomas Becket is perhaps the most famous martyr of the middle ages. He was Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry II …
Who’s Side Are We On? It’s hard to imagine that anyone could see a little baby as a threat, yet that is what we see recounted in our gospel today. …
Reflect on the struggles of the Holy Family and how they inspire us to create loving and holy families in our own lives.
The people at the time of Isaiah knew they needed a savior. To experience the full joy of Christmas we too must recognize our desperate need.
A House for God The Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament represented the presence of God to the Israelites. It was his dwelling place. As they journeyed through …
Unplanned Pregnancies Saved the World Today’s gospel tells of the birth of John the Baptist. You might remember the gospel from a few days ago in which little John was …
Christmas and the Solstice For those of us in the northern hemisphere, one of the rather nice connections with Christmas and the natural world is that the celebration of Our …
Discover the unique relationship between the Blessed Virgin Mary as spouse of the Holy Spirit and the qualities of married love.
A Date With History In the ancient world, years were often reckoned according to the reign of the current leader. The current year might be given as “The 7th year …
A Star to Guide Our Way Today’s first reading tells of the little known prophet Balaam. He is best known for his prophecy foretelling that “A star shall advance from …
A change of mind leading to a change in action. That is what we are called to do this Advent, to think differently so as to act differently.