Posts by Cheryl J
Peace in Persecution
Stephen was filled with grace and power. St. Stephen, the first deacon and martyr of the church, was stoned to death in Jerusalem for his faith. Our first reading speaks of him as a disciple filled with grace and power who was working great signs and wonders among God’s people. All the learned ones from…
Read MoreThe Fast Way
People fast for many reasons. On the secular front, intermittent fasting has become popular in health and fitness circles, for its efficacy in weight loss, and in mitigating diabetes and heart disease. A strapping young man at work once told me that, before summer, he did a weekly water fast for 16-24 hours to get…
Read MoreAsk for a Sign?
In both of today’s Mass readings, an emissary of God comes bearing a Word from the Almighty to one of His people. King Ahaz, who takes over the throne after his father King Uzziah dies, is told by the Lord through the prophet Isaiah to “ask the Lord for a sign, be it in the…
Read MoreEmpowered by Faith
Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief! Oh, for the faith of Abraham! Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief; rather he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God and was fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to do. Romans 4:20-21. You and I believe in God and…
Read MoreChoose Your King With Care
Our first reading today from the Book of Judges, chapter 9, presents us with a fascinating parable about choosing wise leadership to rule over one’s community or nation. Let us understand the context of the tale of the trees. Gideon had fought valiantly and defeated the Midianites, and during his lifetime, the Israelites enjoyed peace…
Read MoreThe Battle is Not Yours, but God’s
Today’s first reading is a stunning recital of the sufferings of St. Paul for the sake of the Gospel. Facts we easily forget as we follow Christ comfortably today in North America – not only with all the privileges of religious freedom and civil liberty but living lives of plenty – large homes containing tables…
Read MoreI Shall Not die, But Live, and Declare the Works of the Lord!
As we read today’s Gospel, we can see the wheels turning in the mind of St. John, “the beloved disciple,” as he recounts the story of Jesus’ resurrection. Mary Magdalene has returned, desolate, to the apostles, recounting a rolled-away tombstone, and an empty tomb. As they race to the spot, John outruns Peter, the chief…
Read MoreChrist’s Way – Dominion Through Humble Obedience
In our first reading today, God promises Noah never again to punish the earth with a total flood. For this righteous descendant of Adam, God re-establishes Noah’s dominion over the Earth – over all living creatures, the birds of the air, the animals and reptiles on the ground, and the fish of the seas. He…
Read MoreDare We Ask for a Sign?
Ahaz’s Predicament: As we wait in eager anticipation for the blessed day of Christ’s birth, we are drawn once again into the far past – the 8th century B.C – into a familiar prophetic text from Isaiah, Chapter 7. The Lord speaks to Isaiah, and through him, to the young ruler of Judah, Ahaz, (the…
Read MoreChristian Suffering – The Path to Heavenly Glory
The Lord was pleased to crush Him in infirmity. Why did it please God for His beloved Son to suffer? Does it please Him to crush us as well? Why Suffering? Suffering is a great mystery for all of humanity. And the seasoned Christian will often notice that his own journey seems fraught with more…
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