Daily Reflections
Paul and Barnabas had remarkable success in their first missionary journey to the Gentiles. But some of the converted Pharisees start urging that Gentile believers be circumcised and taught to follow Mosaic Law. The Jerusalem Council was convened in A.D 50 to settle these matters. We read in Acts 15:1-2:…
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Today’s gospel may be brief in terms of word count, but one cannot plumb its depths, not if one had a million lifetimes. Because the subject of the day is the love of the Father and the love of the Son, and where the Two are, the Third is also,…
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Recently, one of the frequently spoken words within the ecclesiastical circle is “synod.” Pope Francis, in October of last year, inaugurated the Synod, a two-year process of listening, speaking out, and dialogue in the Church. This will culminate in the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in…
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Growing up in the Catholic faith tradition, we were blessed with a common spiritual sense, which we were expected to utilize in order to face the world ahead of us. When off base, we would hear, “No, we don’t do that.” Simple, straightforward, black, and white were the guidelines. If…
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“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me, I will love him and reveal myself to him.” – Jn 14: 21 “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with…
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Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24) Missionary Zeal and Hardship In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:21-27), Paul and Barnabas continued their missionary activity of preaching the good news…
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Today we remember Saint Matthias, the 13th Apostle, the 13th Bishop, or the first replacement to the original twelve. After Judas killed himself after betraying Jesus, the remaining eleven apostles needed to rebuild the group to the original 12. The 11 Bishops met, prayed, and the Holy Spirit guided them…
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Today’s Gospel sounds like a farewell message Jesus addressed to his disciples. In John 13, while washing the feet of his disciples during the Jewish Passover feast, Jesus announced to them his future betrayal by one of them, his agony, his death, and his resurrection. Having probably noticed how sad…
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Slaves Who Become Friends Today’s Gospel appears simple at first blush, but it is not. When Jesus had washed the disciples ’feet, he said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If…
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Be the Light. It is the last thing I say to our children as they pile out of my huge van in the school carpool line each weekday morning. I do not exactly remember when I started saying, “Be the Light.” It seems like I have been saying it for…
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