Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
Walking into a room recently, I was struck when the person greeted me with the question "Can you sin when you look at me?" Many things struck me all at once. Is the person perceiving something in how I am looking at this person? Did they have something they needed to get off their chest? In sharing that I try to only see Christ in the person, he probed further wondering if there was a sin that I was carrying that I needed to share. In reflecting for the readings today, this interchange came to mind immediately.
Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
In the text before us today from Luke, we hear two powerful words. One painful. One merciful.
Memorial of the Guardian Angels
Children are amazing! I am fortunate that I am around children in many circumstances. My role as mother and grandmother and my job caring for children as a pediatrician give me many opportunities to see how children experience the world so differently than we do as adults. In today’s gospel, Jesus places children as being “greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” What is it that makes children so remarkable, and how can we “turn” to become like them?
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I am not going to talk about the state of public discourse in our country. People are up to their noses with it. To get respite, many people have chosen to withdraw from public discourse. Others have completely abandoned social media and news channels. I am not going to talk about it either, because I don’t want you to feel oppressed in church as well. My personal challenge has been to discern my Christian code of conduct in these times. As a Catholic priest, pastor, and a public figure, how do I navigate through the divisiveness and the hate without also compromising the cause of justice and righteousness? How do I become a healer and reconciler? These are questions that affect my eternity.
Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church
For the most part, my kids can freely roam the house. There are some obvious exceptions, such as, stay out of Avila’s room when she is napping, don’t go outside by yourself, and stay off the roof (I’m to blame for that rule). However, for a time we had to institute a rule keeping them out of the dining room. For Iggy, the dining room table was just too tempting. Not as something to climb on, but as a place to hide when he was up to no good. Pilfered candy or a forbidden objected would be taken under the table as he hoped we wouldn’t find him, or at least not notice his absence until he was finished. He snuck off with these things because he knew he wouldn’t like the answer if he had asked to have them.
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels
For many people, Worship and Praise do not come easily. We’re comfortable asking God for what we want, and thanking God for what we receive. But praising, adoring, or worshiping our Lord… some people may ask, “why do we have to do that?”
Thursday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Of all the reasons people can be attracted to Jesus, I think spectacle is one of the funnier ones. ‘Who is this person that everyone is talking about? I’d like to see him myself,’ Herod says to himself. No matter what drives a person to get there, the desire to see Jesus is blessed and holy. Our Lord, the Son of God, is unique in the universe and among all other names for divinity. No one else married Heaven and Earth, Humanity and Godliness. No one else was so full of love, compassion, wisdom, and mercy. No one else worked great miracles. No one else endured such great suffering so gracefully. No one else loves you so perfectly, so completely. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places” (John 14:1-2). A In my house however there is seemingly less of a dwelling place for people and a broad place for stuff. How many shirts or shoes does one person need? How many books does one need? We have ten bookshelves full. How many cds, albums (vinyl for those born after 1998), speakers or songs does one need? How many Christmas trees or ornaments does on need. At what point do we have enough stuff? There are times when I want to pull up a St. Vincent de Paul truck and load everything up without even looking at that which is being given away.
Tuesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
The text from Luke today puts forward an incredible possibility—that we might become like a mother or brother to Jesus. How can this be? How could we get anything like that close to Jesus?
Monday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s reading from the St. Luke relates the parable of the lamp (Lk 8:16-18).
Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
How often have you cried out and said, “Its not fair!” I probably say this at least once day. Sometimes I am right and sometimes I am not. When we experience an injustice, we seek justice from the justice system. It is the right thing to do. It is right to seek justice not only on a social level, but we Catholics also believe that justice is a divine quality. We know God to be just. There is a problem, however. When we have done something wrong and we come before God, we don’t seek justice, but rather, mercy. Here, then, is the dichotomy - we know God to be just but we expect to be treated with mercy. If God treated us sinners in the same way that our justice system treats offenders, what would the confessional look like? In the Christian tradition, God is known to be both just and merciful? Where do justice and mercy meet? The purpose of the parable of the generous vineyard owner in today’s gospel reading is meant to address precisely this question. Just to recall, in the parable, a vineyard owner invites laborers to work in his vinegar at various time during the day, but pays them all the same wages, which causes the ones who came first to the field to grumble.
Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
Scripture and Tradition love to link God and light. John discusses God as light. The Nicene Creed identifies the divinity of Jesus through the phrase, “God from God, Light from Light.” Also, our first reading today describes God as being in “unapproachable light.”
Friday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's first reading (1 Timothy 6:2c-12) emphasizes two distinct ways Christians can understand religion: as a way to gain stuff, or as a way to follow Christ.
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Immediately after college I was blessed to be able to do a year of service in Phoenix, AZ at a place called Maggie's Place. I've written of it a couple of times before. At Maggie's Place those of us who committed to do service committed to live our lives with those we served. Who did we serve? Pregnant women who were homeless - some were recovering drug addicts, some were prostitutes, some were victims of abuse, some suffered from mental illness - but all - every single one was a child of God.
Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs
One of my favorite songs has a refrain, “How great is our God, sing with me, how great is our God, and all will see, How great, How great is our God.” This hymn is reflected in our responsorial for today, “How great are the works of the Lord.” Indeed this psalm reminds us that one of the best ways to reflect Christ is to praise God with our whole heart. This praise can take the form of remembering all of the good things the Lord has done for us in our lives. What are the things or people for which we are grateful right now?
Tuesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
To become a widow during Jesus’ time must have been a terrifying thing. If, like most women in Jesus’ time, you had no independent income or way to make one, you were incredibly vulnerable. Perhaps your extended family would support you. But what if they couldn’t?
Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
As I was reading today’s gospel reading I was struck by the phrase “he deserves to have you do this.” This makes me wonder, “What do we deserve and do we always receive what we deserve?” As I look around at our nation and the world, I see people suffering from natural disasters, violence, poverty and war. Do these people deserve this? In no way do I believe that God designs these circumstances because the people involved somehow deserve to be punished. As we see so often from the life of Jesus, God’s vision is so far beyond our understanding and expectation. God is always ready to give us His love, grace and mercy. This does not mean that our lives will be without difficulties, but it does mean we will always have what we need- God’s presence in our lives- if only we ask and believe.
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Besides “Love one another, as I have loved you,” no other teaching of Jesus is more definitive of Christianity than his teaching on forgiveness. There are no ‘ifs’ and 'buts' attached to Jesus command to forgive. This makes the teaching of forgiveness challenging for the holiest of Christians. It is simple, it is straight, and it is uncompromising. Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant in today’s gospel reading ends with this saying, “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” As far as Christian spirituality is concerned, the unconditional demand for forgiveness is where the rubber hits the road.
Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs
There was a young man who was at home when a friend ran by and said, “there is a flood, run and escape with me.” The young man unmoved said, “God will save me” and went back inside his house. Another friend came by in a rowboat and invited his friend get into his boat. The man once again stated, “Do not worry God will save me.” Finally a helicopter came by and tried to rescue this young man off the roof of his house. Again the young man refused saying, “God will save me.” Then the young man passed on and went to heaven. In heaven he asked God, “Why did you not save me?” God responded, “I sent a friend, a row boat and a helicopter. What more do you want?”
Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows
As a Lay Marianist and someone who works at an institution run by the Marianist order (the University of Dayton), today’s Gospel reading from John holds a lot of significance. Vowed religious and members of the Marianist family across the world make an effort to say a prayer called the Three O’Clock prayer which recalls the imagery of Mary and John standing at the foot of the cross.