Reflections on the Sunday readings from the Catholic Lectionary for Mass. Includes homilies, sermons, and other thoughts.
In the face of problems, God does not promise a quick fix, but to be Emmanuel, God with us. He may not fix it, but he’s always with us.
Even Catholics who go to Mass regularly sometimes have a problem with confession. Today’s homily offers some helpful tips.
When we think of Christmas, we normally think of the Christmas Tree. Today’s readings give us two other trees to think about this Advent.
As Advent begins, this homily considers how the ancient gesture of the priest and people facing “East” for Mass reminds us where we’re going.
We’ve spent a lot of time lately focusing on political power and who should be allowed to exercise power. In some ways, the same questions that have existed from the …
The readings this weekend remind us of the reality of heaven. There really is life after death. The brothers in our first reading are willing to lay down their lives …
Today we give thanks for the priesthood, instituted by Jesus Christ, and continuing to bring his power to the world 2000 years later. When we think of priests, we probably think …
For the past six weeks, we have been reading from the letters of St. Paul to Timothy. Today we come to the end of these letters, wherein Paul gives us …
In today’s second reading, St. Paul reminds St. Timothy about the importance of Sacred Scripture. As Catholics, we can fall into the tendency of focusing on Mass and the sacraments …
Both the first reading and the gospel today involve lepers as the star characters. Today’s homily highlights three lessons that we might learn from the figures. First, humility. It’s takes …
The first Sunday in October has been designated in the United States as “Respect Life Sunday.” While much progress has been made in this area since the passing of Roe …
In today’s second reading, St. Paul writes to St. Timothy, who he has appointed Bishop of Ephesus, to give him some advice on how to be a good bishop. St. …
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 …
It’s the end of the world. And we can find some wisdom from an unexpected place, the recently deceased pop singer, Prince.
Do we minimize sin saying, “it’s not really that bad?” Not only are we lying to ourselves, but we can’t really experience the mercy of Jesus.
As Jesus goes into the desert to be tempted he encounters the same enemies that we face every day: the world, the flesh, and the devil.
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 …
When he asks us to do something we don’t understand how to we respond? We’ve got to fill the jars all the way, just like the servants at Cana
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.”