Reflections on the Sunday readings from the Catholic Lectionary for Mass. Includes homilies, sermons, and other thoughts.
One of the great story lines of all time can be summed up by the phrase “The Journey Home.” The protagonist has somehow wound up far from home and struggles …
Imagine someone you know is interested in learning what Christianity is really all about. What would you tell them? What’s the core message? Probably most of us could think of …
The scene described in today’s Gospel reminds me a lot of the political atmosphere in Washington, DC: people jockeying for positions of influence, throwing parties to make allies. It can …
In today’s First Reading from the prophet Isaiah, we hear God’s desire to “gather the nations” and to send people out “to the nations.” In this we see, even in …
I, like many people, have spent a lot of time this last week watching the Olympics and marveling at the great ability of the athletes competing. I especially like it …
In the Old Testament story of the Exodus from Egypt referred to in our First Reading today, God’s chosen people are safe from the Angel of Death. They were warned …
“Teach us to pray!” This is the request Jesus gets in today’s Gospel. When we think of learning to pray, we might call to mind learning our basic prayers when …
The famous motto of the Boy Scouts is “Be Prepared.” This admonition is deliberately vague, meaning that a scout should be prepared appropriately for anything. New scouts (and leaders) often …
Normally, when a “Scholar of the Law” is mentioned in the Scripture, he’s not held in a very favorable light, at least not by Jesus. Yet, in today’s gospel, one …
Last week at the beginning of camp at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Osceola, Missouri, I talked about the importance of loyalty, the ability to stick by our …
Many people today are afraid of making commitments. There seems to be a fear that if I commit to something then I’ll be missing out on something else. Many express …
One day as I was visiting the Library of Congress in Washington, I noticed an exhibit on “Thomas Jefferson’s Bible.” I was very intrigued to see this relic, looking forward …
“When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue= purple… purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your …
The readings today cause us to look back to the past. Specifically, we are to be reminded of the ways in which God has saved us in the past. It …
As we begin the season of Lent, we see Jesus go out into the desert to be tempted. There he encounters the same enemies that you and I face every …
Even with the normal crowds of half a million or more, the March for Life almost never gets much coverage from the left-leaning media. With a major snow storm predicted …
Today’s gospel recounts the story of the wedding at Cana where Jesus famously turns water into wine. St. John tells us that there were six stone water jars, each holding …
Explore the meaning of epiphany and its relevance today. Discover how subtle signs can guide our paths like the magi.
The octave of Christmas is filled with more than just shepherds and angels. Many of the days are filled with bloodshed and martyrdom.
After the story of Christmas in St. Luke’s gospel, perhaps the second best known story of Christmas is the story of “A Christmas Carol.”
Like the time of John the Baptist, we too should live our life with urgency. The Messiah has come, but he’s coming back. It could be any day.
Christmas means that God became concretely present in our world. So, we need to do some concrete things to get ready to welcome him today.
Advent is a reminder that that Jesus really is coming back and we need to be ready. are we truly making an effort to “run forth” to meet him.
Our readings today remind us of God’s reign from before time began, throughout all time, and unto eternity. God always was and always will be. Today we honor Jesus with …
In ancient Roman times when emperors acted like gods and believed too often in their own immortality, one of his servants was given the job to walk beside him in …
Both the widow in our first reading and the widow in the gospel seem to have nothing. One has no food and is about to die and the other has …
Today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews uses language describing the priesthood of the Old Testament and the offering of animal sacrifices. God taught his people over the …
We don’t like suffering. We often go to great lengths to avoid even the smallest suffering. Despite our attempts, suffering will eventually come, and normally with some frequency. The key …
This has been an amazing week having the Holy Father here in the historic cities of our country. There are so many unforgettable memories that I will have of this …
We are called to go out and spread the good news. Yet it seems that so few baptized people really live out this mission. Today’s readings give us hints at …
Upon arriving in Assisi we were blessed to be able to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis, right near the tomb of the saint. The readings of the …
After spending the morning at the home of St. Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, we had Mass on Monte Sant’Angelo where the Archangel Michael appeared in the year 490. …