Daily Reflections
I always grin when I think about the Apostles getting snarky with one another, especially when James and John’s mom steps in to ask Jesus what His plans are for her boys (not as explicit in St. Mark’s version). We all have a propensity to want to know the future.…
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Acknowledgment is a common courteous behavior parents teach their children in their earliest years. Parents want their sons and daughters to acknowledge a person’s presence as well as gifts they have received. Acknowledgement is a way of saying that the person matters. In the beginning of today’s Gospel, Jesus is…
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It is essential to understand the Church’s teaching about faith to help us appreciate Abraham’s faith in God. He is credited as being righteous, as we heard in the first reading. Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by Him (CCC 153). The exercise of faith is…
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Paul bases his ministry on the belief that all human beings, of whatever race, are called to salvation through Jesus Christ. By contrast, today’s Gospel alludes to the murder of many prophets in Old Testament times. Old Testament terms often resonate in Paul’s writings. They include: the justice of God,…
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The word of God today challenges us on how coherent our lives as Christians are. The word of God is a lamp for our feet, and a light for our path. (Cf. Psalm 119, 105) It is also this lamp that exposes the contradiction in us, not to humiliate us,…
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“Let Me Show You My God” “Therefore, God handed them over to impurity through the lusts of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever.” Rom…
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Last night I had an incredible opportunity to attend an event hosted by a conservative Christian non-partisan, lobbying organization group that is firm on defending the values of traditional family, life at conception, and religious freedom. My mind is still spinning from the energy and passion the guest speakers spoke…
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“I called on God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.”—Wis 7:7 Friends, today I invite you to consider this question: What do you seek? What is the deepest desire of your heart, your mind? If God granted you one gift of your choosing, what would that be? In…
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Listen Carefully to the Command In 1854, Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote a poem commemorating “The Light Brigade”, a British cavalry unit which fought a battle against the Russians during the Crimean War. Because of poor intelligence and poorly communicated orders, half of the brigade’s six hundred men were killed, wounded,…
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The prophet Joel, in the first reading (Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2), invites the people to deeper commitment to the life of faith. The prophet is concerned with strengthening formal observances of prayer, such as the temple liturgy, and an inward conversion. Furthermore, a fast and a solemn assembly of the people…
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