Posts by John and Kathy Schultz
Crazy in Love
The Path to Glory is Set: At this point in John’s Gospel Jesus’s relationship with His followers and with His enemies have reached a frantic pitch. The supreme Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, have met and decided that for them to stay on the right side of Roman power, Jesus must die. The High Priest Caiaphas…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Kingdom of God
Here is sage advice from Saint Francis de Sales. Saint Francis de Sales recommended frequent mental prayer that has our Lord’s life and passion as its objects. Frequent meditation on Christ will fill our soul with Him, teach us His ways and frame all our actions on His divine model. Let us consider Mark’s gospel…
Read MoreBlessed are the Poor in Spirit
I think one could study the Beatitudes for many years due to the rich language and imagery. The first Beatitude was a mystery to me for years; “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Finally, I understood that those who understand that faith and belief are not things we…
Read MoreTearing Away the Veil
Bishop Barron Sunday homilies are one of my favorite podcasts. In one of his recent homilies, he discussed the Church’s emphasis on the end times as we approach the end of our liturgical year. He discussed the word, “apocalyptic,” in describing the readings at the end of the church year. I was interested to learn…
Read MoreHave no fear
Today’s readings should comfort us, strengthen us, remind us of who we are and call us to repentance. Repentance seems to sound harsh to our ears. We much prefer those images of being comforted and strengthened. Paul’s Letter to the Romans is one of my favorite Scriptures. It assures us that believers cannot be condemned,…
Read MoreThe Shock of Recognition
Jesus Amps it Up. Jesus has just finished denouncing the Pharisees in strong and unmistakable terms – “Woe to you Pharisees!” In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus intensifies His criticism to focus on the Lawyers. Hear what Jesus has to say to the Lawyers – “This generation may be charged with the blood of all the…
Read MoreWoe to you, Pharisees!
To lead them astray: Jesus saves his harshest words for false shepherds. “Woe to you Pharisees! You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb, but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God… You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces. (Lk.11: 42-43)…
Read MoreUpsetting the Order
We often gloss over the implications of living fully as a Christian. It’s more acceptable to many if we embrace the Christmas card image of the Incarnation; that is a stable as clean as a cottage with happy barnyard animals surrounding a beatific Mary who cradles a chubby infant Jesus. Easter should be full of…
Read MoreLessons in Salvation History
Today’s readings remind us that God reaches out to us across time. In the first reading from Genesis, Joseph, saved by the hand of God from his jealous brothers and Potiphar, feeds the starving masses. Joseph has been given great power from Pharoah. Yet, he wields that power with great mercy; even extending mercy to…
Read MoreHealing of the Paralytic
The story of the healing of the paralytic man in Matthew’s gospel reading continues to resonate even after two thousand years. All three synoptic Gospels (Mt. 9: 1-8, Mk. 2: 1-12, and Lk. 5: 17-26) include this story. In a few short paragraphs, we are given a rich account of friendship, faith, doubt, forgiveness, and…
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