Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Psalm ends with the words, “Have pity on your servants!” In the Gospel we see that petition answered by Christ as he tells the disciples, “My heart is moved with pity for the crowd.” And Genesis gives us some sense of the need for that pity as we see the curses of the Fall described. In all of this we see revealed to us, Jesus as the curse breaker.
Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin
There was a time in my life (my teenage years) when I was "sure" I would not get married, for a variety of reasons. Marriage seemed too scary because of its long-term commitment; marriage meant I would have to think about another person besides myself and that seemed difficult; marriage seemed too "adult." When I eventually meet someone and decide to marry, I remember having a conversation with a friend about a week before the wedding. I told my friend it was still difficult to imagine being married - the largeness and longevity of the expectations of marriage seemed overwhelming. To this day, I remember her answer word for word: "But Jana, you can imagine being married to Joel, right?" In that instant, all my fears went away and I felt at peace. My perception of marriage changed. Marriage, as an abstract institution, was indeed scary. But marriage to a specific person, the specific person that I knew and loved - that I could see.
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture Readings
Upon reading today's gospel I find myself drawn to this mother and her deep faith. As a mother I can relate to how she must be feeling - she will stop at nothing to help her daughter, to free her from this demon. And her search for healing and freedom, for both she and her daughter, leads her directly to Jesus.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Almost every culture has creation stories. The reading from Genesis today begins our second creation story. This inspired story looks at the act of all creation as it relates to humanity. What is so powerful from the reading’s imagery is that the original sculptor, God, forms a creature from the earth and breaths life into the unanimated form. Thus humanity came into existence. This breath of life may be understood as the Holy Spirit. It also might be seen as a scriptural reference for God infusing humanity with a soul.
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s first reading is the end of the first creation narrative in Genesis. It’s the one with the long list of the six days of creation, which we usually hear at the Easter vigil. Genesis 1 always reminds me of a television show which was on a few years ago called Planet Earth. It presented all of the world’s ecosystems and showed so many creatures in great detail. It’s a beautiful series, and a great reminder of the beauty of the earth. It’s remarkable that the ancient peoples who composed Genesis had a similar imagination of their world! They knew that their world was beautiful and that it was created by God. More than that, they knew that God had given the world to humans to care for it.
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
My husband Tom and I recently returned from a medical service trip to Nicaragua. We accompanied a group of UD students to the village of La Corneta where we provided medical care to people from the village and surrounding area. When I read today’s gospel, I was reminded that as disciples of Christ each one of us is called to bring the healing touch of compassion to every person we encounter. To be a healer you need more than medicines, lab tests, or a degree. A listening ear, an attentive presence, and a compassionate heart are essential to bring wholeness to another through the touch of God.
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Perhaps you have heard about Martin Scorsese’s latest movie, “Silence.” The movie has been in the making since Scorsese first read the book in 1966. Its the story of two Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver), who leave Portugal for Japan, to find a third priest (Liam Neeson) who has gone missing while working as a missionary. The third priest is believed to have committed apostasy by stepping on an image of Jesus Christ after being tormented by the Japanese. The role of one of the two priests is played by Andrew Garfield. To play his part, Garfield actually made the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. Originally, he did not make the Exercises in self-interest. He did it to get over his own “not-enoughness” - the feeling of not being good enough. But what happened was totally unexpected. In an interview he gave to Brendan Busse, he said, “God! That was the most remarkable thing—falling in love, and how easy it was to fall in love with Jesus.”
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
A line from today's first reading from Hebrews struck me today. It reads, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind” (Heb. 13:16 NAB). This seems pretty simple, right? Any basic catechesis we received will tell us that sins of omission, failing to do something, are real. We even say it when we recite the Confeitor with these words, “I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, … in what I have failed to do.” So we are certainly supposed to do good and we are supposed to share. Hebrews tells us to share what we have and that is where we should spend some time today.
Friday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Consider the faith of the Prophetess Anna and of Simeon. The Lord told them they would see the salvation of Israel early in their lives, and so they waited in hope. For weeks, months, years, and across decades, they waited for the Christ that God had promised. Have you ever had that sort of hope? What are you hoping for today?
Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Mighty deeds demand faith. Whether it be personally, as a church or as a country, great faith supports our ability to accomplish much that is significant. Personally this may happen because we have of an experience of God that is so profound that the spirit empowers us to move mountains. As a church great faith emboldens the body of Christ to act with unconditional love towards ourselves and neighbor so that through the church people have an intense encounter of Christ. In our country, inspiring leadership has called our citizens to their feet and united in action for the common good.
Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest
I have been thinking lately about what it means to believe in Jesus and to affirm that I am a Christian, so as I reflected on today’s readings I was reminded of the fact that it is not enough to have the kind of faith that simply acknowledges that God is there or that Jesus is Lord. We are also called to act in response to the recognition of these articles of faith; however, it is so easy not to do so. Our failure to act in response to them can demonstrate a lack of belief that it is really worth taking them seriously.
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
A story that came to mind when I read the Scriptures of this day. I so wish it was a happy story but it is not. Still, I will tell it. A close friend of mine passed away several years ago. He had an older brother and a younger sister. Their parents, staunch evangelical Christians, decided they were called to be missionaries in South America when their three children were teenagers living in a Midwestern town. They decided to leave the kids in their family home and move to South America following what they felt as their 'call' from Jesus. The eldest brother was barely 18 years old and charged with the care his two younger siblings. While I do not want to pass judgement, I have always found myself doing so. These three young people suffered greatly; their lives reflect the pain of their abandonment. I am completely baffled by how they reached their decision. From whom did they seek counsel and how did they justify such a grave decision? More than that, I am haunted they made their decision based upon their Christianity and in the name of Jesus.
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
It has been a stressful and tense week for America. Immaterial of whether you are a supporter of President Trump or not, these are not easy times. I had the privilege of having some distance from all the tension. But as soon as I entered the country, every conversation I have had, somehow, leads to the happenings in the nation. Whether it was the march last week or the march this week, whether it is immigration or refugee resettlement, people have taken on to social media to express their hopes and their anguish. One of the question I asked myself was, “In times like this, what is it that I rely on?” When fragility strikes, what do I fall back on? After all, politics cannot give us salvation and does not promise us eternity. We need something deeper. I turned to scripture for answers. No matter which side we are on, this Sunday’s readings offer us some direction.
Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
In today’s Gospel passage the disciples ask, “Who then is this whom even wind and sea obey?" It is a good question. It is also a little bit of a strange question. Who is this is something you ask someone on the phone or you might ask a stranger who they are. However in this instance, Jesus’ disciples are asking, “Who then is this”?
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
I think it's important to reflect deeply on the everyday stuff we often miss, or just really don't account for in our lives. I'm thinking here of how it took me a year to be able to do a particular pedal move on the organ; or how it takes a very slow, long time for my four year old to have learned how to draw. Two years ago, she was drawing chicken scratches; today she's drawing all kinds of amazing cows and ducks and superheroes that are actually recognizable.
Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, bishops
"Stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control." These words from today's first reading simultaneously give me comfort and make me entirely uncomfortable.
Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle
Has anyone ever asked you “Are you saved?” The question can be disconcerting as the concept is not typically found in the Catholic spiritual vocabulary. When I was first asked this question I did not have a thought out response, just a visceral reaction. Of course I am saved, “I am a Confirmed Catholic”. These words found no traction with the person asking the question; however they permanently changed the way I look at my faith. From that moment forward I knew I had to claim my faith as my own. What had mainly been my father’s faith up to this point now became mine own.
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Today’s gospel reading speaks about Jesus being “possessed”. To be possessed is to be “influenced or controlled by something (someone).” Although most people think of this term in a negative way, as I read today’s scripture I was drawn to the idea of being possessed by the Spirit of God. As disciples, if we imitate Jesus in all ways, we must surrender our wills to the power of the Holy Spirit. If we hope to live a life of compassion, mercy, healing, and love then we must allow our lives to be possessed by the Spirit of Christ who will use who we are to bring Him to the world.
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
I find it truly interesting that the very scripture passage that was read for Christmas is today’s first reading as well. Isaiah says:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.
You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing,
as they rejoice before you as at the harvest,
as people make merry when dividing spoils.”
Yet, it is not all that strange this very scripture passage is used again. If you noticed, the gospel reading introduces us to the beginning of Jesus ministry. The light that Isaiah is referring to, is Jesus.