Posts by John and Kathy Schultz
The Second Calling of the Apostles
In Luke’s story of the road to Emmaus we see the apostles at an inflection point. It appears their ministry has been utterly crushed. Jesus has been crucified and they are no doubt racked with guilt over their abandonment of Him. But then… a few days after the crucifixion, wild stories begin to circulate. A…
Read MoreProphets
Priest, Prophet and King: By our baptism we Christians are called to be priests, prophets, and kings. Whether we were baptized as unaware infants or as fully consenting adults, the priest’s words “Just as Jesus was anointed priest, prophet, and king, so may you live always as a member of his body sharing everlasting life”…
Read MoreDivine and Human Labors
Each Lent we make a point of listening to Jesus Christ Superstar. All the songs are memorable but one in particular stands out as it describes the crowds pressing upon Jesus with their cries for healing. See my eyes, I can hardly see. See me stand, I can hardly walk. I believe you can make…
Read MoreSaintly Lives
God loves to surprise us when answering our prayers. This morning I realized a January reflection was needed—today! John and I have written several times about the call to Andrew and Peter which was today’s Gospel message. I said a prayer to the Holy Spirit to help me either discover a new insight to the…
Read MoreThe Presentation in the Temple
The waiting is over. Emmanuel is now with us. God, incarnate in Jesus, has begun His great rescue mission to humanity. Jesus has ransomed captive Israel and all the nations of the earth. The readings today echo the waiting of the Advent season but also recapitulate the exile and glory of Israel. In the story…
Read MoreCalled to Be Saved: The Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle
God’s Call to Israel: The two readings today speak together in a rich interweaving of theology, the early history of Christianity, and salvation. Paul starts us off in the tenth chapter of his master work letter to the Christian community in Rome. He lays out the necessary conditions for salvation: “If you confesswith your lips…
Read MoreJesus, Healer of the World
The response for today’s Psalm is “Our God is the God of salvation.” When God became man in the person of Jesus Christ, He came to lead a fallen human race to salvation. His mission of salvation to the world includes healing. First spiritual healing, but also plenty of physical healing. In our Gospel reading,…
Read MoreJesus Condemns the Scribes and Pharisees
Jesus’ condemnation of false teachers in today’s reading from the 23rd chapter of Matthew is among the strongest and most stinging of His comments in the Gospels. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and…
Read MoreA Wise Leader
“Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” This particular line from today’s Gospel caught my attention. I imagine Pope Francis as the scribe who uses both the old ideas and practices as…
Read MoreTo Believe
Faithful Believers. As a faithful Catholic, at least once a week, we recite our profession of faith. We state our belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ the son and the Holy Spirit. Too often I say the Nicene Creed in a rote fashion, rarely focusing on each of the words that are the foundation…
Read More