Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
You are the temple of God.
Do you believe that?
Not in the way that your head can repeat the phrase “my body is a temple.” But in the way that your heart and soul really hold that you are the temple of God. And not only that you’re the temple of God, but that the Spirit of God dwells in you, and you are holy.
Monday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time
In today’s reading from Wisdom 1, the line that states “for perverse counsels separate a man from God” stood out to me, especially in light of the Gospel reading where sin and forgiveness are the subject of Jesus’ teaching. Sin, however big or small, separates us from God. When we sin do we feel the sorrow of that separation? Does it come to mind that our impatience, anger, lie, laziness, neglect, or disobedience is a break in our relationship with the Father? Or do we focus on blaming another, minimizing the sin, or justifying it?
Saturday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
In the gospel reading, Jesus suggests that his followers “make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth.” How can wealth be a friend and what makes this wealth dishonest? In the first reading, St. Paul lives out his Christian friendships as he greets many fellow disciples. How are we called to develop friendships that are holy and life-giving for both ourselves and our community?
Friday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
More than 2,000 years since the birth of Christ, with the development of modern means of travel and technology allowing access to and communication with practically the entire world, I think it’s safe to say that few adults have never heard of Jesus. So how do we respond to today’s first reading, Paul’s letter to the Romans (15:14-21)? I am especially drawn to this passage ending with Paul quoting Isaiah, “Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”
Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop
In her home, my grandmother displayed several pictures of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. These portrayals of our Lord often brought me consolation, especially through periods of uncertainty. A meditative gaze into these portraits led me to Jesus, who, with his shepherd’s crook, lovingly and wisely led me through valleys and into light and life.
Wednesday of the Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings are a beautiful follow-on to this past Sunday’s scriptures from Deuteronomy 6 and Mark 12. We get to hear St Paul’s voice echoing Christ’s in his exhortation to love our neighbor as our self. Paul incorporates an interesting metaphor into the mix – that of indebtedness. What do we owe in our spiritual lives, and to whom do we owe it? That’s a great question for our prayer and pondering today.
The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
I love a lot of things about being Catholic, but I especially love the sincerity and complexity with which we Catholics approach death. Death is no easy subject to talk about! It’s scary, painful, and it provides unmeasurable amounts of uncertainty all at once. This all can make death a fairly dread-filled topic for dinner conversation. So what do we do, as Catholics? We talk about it all the time! We confront our death every time we pray a Hail Mary or go to Mass. We celebrate Ash Wednesday, where we’re specifically reminded that we “are dust, and to dust we shall return.” We even developed an entire art style around skulls, specifically designed to remind us of the fact that one day, we all will die!
Solemnity of All Saints
"Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven."
Today is the Solemnity of All Saints, and in the Gospel reading we hear Jesus preach the famous Beatitudes. The first few Beatitudes to me always felt like a verbal hug from Jesus to his followers. Yet then he turns seemingly darker. At a glance, the warm hug seems to be replaced by a frightful foreboding, as Jesus isn't saying "if they insult you and persecute you" but rather "when they insult you and persecute you."
Saturday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
In today's reading from Romans, Saint Paul explains to the Gentile Christians that it is God has who has brought them into the Christian community—not because of a superior wisdom on their part. Then in the Gospel, Jesus, who is dining at the house of a Pharisee, warns the guests not to take seats of honor or they may embarrass themselves when asked by the host to move to a lower place in favor of someone held in higher esteem. It seems a bit "tongue in cheek" does it not? Nevertheless, in both scenarios, the lack of humility begins with one's way of thinking, the disposition of one's heart. Who among us has not felt entitled or felt superior to another? Also, who among us has not practiced false humility?
Friday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus’ actions in today’s Gospel remind us to consider what is of true value in this life. Despite the cultural rules and societal norms, he does what is needed in order to care for someone else. I have a deep appreciation for rules and tradition. We talk with our children often about the purpose of the rules set in place to keep everyone safe; rules can create a fair and fun environment for everyone; they help maintain order and predictability. Most laws are created with a specific purpose and with good intention. However, sometimes there are situations where rules can be circumvented by greater needs. A simple example is a rescue squad having the right of way in all matters of traffic when rushing a person to the hospital. The health and well-being of the person in the back of the ambulance matters much more than the errand that I am running. Jesus’ words and actions today call on us to consider the question, “what matters most?”
Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
I suspect many of us, maybe most of us, have felt at one or another time in our lives that we aren’t really in the Church. By that I mean that we have felt, for this or that reason, that we are outsiders.
Wednesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
We live in a broken world, a world that, at times, feels out of control, a world that seems filled more with bad than good, a world, even where evil sometimes appears to have the upper hand. If we’re not careful, it’s easy to become bitter, suspicious, critical, negative, despairing, or hopeless. Our readings today remind us that we are a hopeful people, confident in God’s sovereign goodness, trusting in God’s mercy, and resting in God’s promises. Today, let us trust that God is working behind the scenes for our good; today let us anticipate taking our place at Christ’s table in the Kingdom of God.
Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
I went hiking this weekend with my roommate and some of our friends. While it was lovely to get out and do something in nature, there was a very specific moment where I remember getting frustrated at the way I was walking. Whenever I go out to hike or find myself on any kind of trail that isn’t well-worn or paved, I spend most of my time looking directly downwards, watching where I put my feet. While there’s certainly nothing wrong
with looking at my steps, in retrospect I get frustrated – I already have a pretty good sense of what my hiking shoes look like, it’d be nice to take some time enjoying my surroundings! I might as well be walking the same trails every time, since no matter where I go, the view is the same!
Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
In this 30th week of Ordinary time, we continue our daily walk with Jesus, counting and celebrating the weeks of our commitment. As we do so, we continue to hear from the gospel according to St. Luke. Today’s story strikes a familiar theme: Jesus heals on the Sabbath to the dismay of the leader of the synagogue. Jesus then defends himself, humiliating his adversaries. But certainly Jesus’ intent was not to hurt his adversaries. Instead, Jesus wanted to help them see the world as God sees it. He wanted them to understand Sabbath worship as a gift for their good, rather than as a restriction. When he drives out Satan from this woman, Jesus is reclaiming her for God. He is allowing her to live in freedom, and to worship God out of that freedom.
Saturday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
I think it is human nature for us to look at others and see the need for change while ignoring the work that needs to be done for our own improvement. Today’s readings remind us that the Spirit of Christ is within us, and we need to focus on how we can allow the Spirit to be more alive in our lives. We our called to “cultivate” the soil of our souls, so we can bear fruit for the world.
Friday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
We are mortal beings. We have bodies that die, no matter what we do or don’t do; we know that our bodies are limited and will eventually stop working. And I think I am not alone in some days appreciating my God-given body when it is working well and I am feeling fine and in tune with our Creator, and other days not-so-much. I find some comfort in knowing that St. Paul struggled at times with his “mortal body” as we read today in his letter to the Romans (7:18-25a) with some intensity, “Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?”
Thursday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel passage from Luke is one of those that always gives us reason to pause. Isn’t Jesus associated with peace on earth? Isn’t Christianity a “family values” kind of faith? Then why does Jesus say here that he came to establish division? Why does he describe the rending of families?
Wednesday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
I am a procrastinator. I have been one all my life. I have many memories of writing papers for English class in the middle of the night. Even though I knew about this 10-page paper for weeks I waited until the last possible hours to sit down and write. Yes, the topic was often percolating in my mind during those weeks – I was thinking about what to write, but I refused to put pen to paper until the last possible minute. There is something about the impending deadline that gives me the needed stress and pressure to get the job done. I have always responded well to having a deadline and I usually meet that deadline.
Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
I love to think about how “where sin increase[s], grace overflow[s] all the more” (Romans 5:20), because we need a lot of grace. As a person who lives in the world, it’s so easy to direct my attention at the world around me. When I pay attention the world around me, it’s a lot easier for me to see all the sin in the world, and to miss the grace that is present, as well. Paul reminds us in today’s first reading (Romans 5:12, 15b, 17-19, 20b-21) that where Adam’s sin gave us death, Jesus’ death gives us life. While we became sinners through the disobedience of Adam, we are told that we can be made righteous through Jesus.
Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Luke, the Evangelist. Author of the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles, Luke has been known as a physician and companion of St. Paul the Apostle. To him we owe much of our knowledge concerning the beginnings of Jesus on earth, such as Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, the Nativity at Bethlehem, the visit of the shepherds, Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, and the loss and finding of the boy Jesus in the Temple. To Luke we also owe much of our knowledge about the beginnings of the Church. His adventure story of the Acts of the Apostles has been described as a history written in the tradition of Greek historians at the time. Luke was an eyewitness to these early Church events and saw fit to record them for the benefit of the Church.