Posts by Paul Verderber
Bite Sized Pieces
Today we celebrate the Memorial of Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint. She was born at the time of the United States’ founding, into a wealthy, non-Catholic family. She was beset by tragedies and challenges but was able to find herself as a Catholic amidst the obstacles of her life. Her husband and…
Read MoreLots of Gifts
Welcome On this Friday of the fourth week of Advent, we have finally arrived at Christmas Eve. Hopefully, the churches are full of regular Mass attendees, as well as the “occasional Catholics” who seem to only attend on Christmas and Easter. All are welcome. Perhaps this is the year that the “occasionals” convert to “regulars”.…
Read MoreJoy on Display
Showing Joy The theme of showing joy begins in the second line of the first reading today. Someone’s lover springs across the mountains and hills. The Sound of Music and the von Trapp family comes to mind, with the aerial view of the characters dancing about, with the beautiful fields and mountain views. The character…
Read MoreHelp Wanted
In the readings for today, one phrase stood out amongst the others. The key line for me was that “the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.” I am not going to write about the sweet potato or cotton harvest season here in Eastern North Carolina, USA, however. The readings refer to harvesting people…
Read MoreGift Receipt
A thirty-year-old rabbi from Nazareth was walking through Jericho, and his reputation had preceded him. Crowds were gathered along the road, as he and his disciples walked through town. The disciples were a rag tag bunch, not like typical disciples of rabbis of the time. Typical disciples were the crème de le crème of the…
Read MoreJust One
Today is the Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo. Charles was born into a very noble Italian family, and his uncle was a Pope. He was very bright, well educated, well connected, and hard working. He was made a Cardinal at age 21, even though he was not ordained as a priest or even a bishop.…
Read MoreYou Get What You Pray For
Today’s Gospel, from Luke, is going to be the focus of my reflection. Like most GVM subscribers, you have heard certain Bible stories many times. You may have read them, heard them in church, heard a podcast, or someone told you about them. You may not know the whole reading, but you’ve heard parts, just…
Read MoreFaith In Action
Today we honor St. Francis, one of the most well-known Saints. Because of his love for animals, we traditionally have the “blessing of the animals” today. I get a kick out of the kids dragging their animals to the church grounds to be blessed. It can be a scene of chaos and fun and excitement.…
Read MoreDon’t Give Up on God
The first reading for today, from Colossians, set the tone for my reflection. It states that if we persevere in our faith, then we can be with God in Heaven someday. If we keep on the firm and stable ground of faith, and not venture into the swamp of evil deeds, we have a chance…
Read MoreStand Up for Yourself
Today’s Gospel is the story of the mother with a demon-tormented daughter. She’s not Jewish, so was not part of the target audience of conversion to the new religion soon to be called Christianity. However, she gets the miracle she needs from Jesus. The theme of today’s reflection will be about standing up for yourself.…
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