As someone who tends to be very detail-oriented, I know I often get stuck in the minutiae. I am also a “rule-follower” by nature. Rules can be important. They can ground us and ensure our safety, but today’s Gospel warns us about where I place both my attention and my…
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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). God Reveals Himself The encounter of Moses at the burning bush was a dramatic and mysterious one. I wonder what our reactions would be if any of us…
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Today, for a moment, Jesus gives us insight into his innermost thoughts. After he spent some time in prayer, hear the actual words of his prayer. He prays: “Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, to you I offer praise; for what you have hidden from the learned and the clever…
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Today we remember Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonized. She was called the Lily of the Mohawks, which is a tribe in the Northeastern USA, in present day New York State. Smallpox took her family, but she survived the disease, but got massive scars on her…
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It is sometimes said that to whom much is given, much is expected. Being a Christian is a true grace, and a true blessing, but also a responsibility. As disciples of Christ, we have the responsibility to bear witness to him. It is therefore a matter of translating our experiences…
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Context, Context, Context “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother …” “Whoever loves father or mother more than…
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God uses ordinary people for extraordinary things. We are given countless examples of this throughout history. From the Old Testament reading today, ordinary Amos becomes a prophet for Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus picks ordinary men to not only be disciples, but apostles. They preached repentance and drove out…
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“Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”—Matt 10:31 For every person, living in the world means coming to terms with fear. Because our lives are full of uncertainty, we all wrestle with fear, whether we know it or not: fear of death, of poverty, of…
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“The salvation of the just comes from the LORD.” (Ps 37:39). The antiphon of today’s Responsorial Psalm summarizes the truths of the readings for today’s Mass. In order to understand the poignant embrace of Israel by his favorite son, Joseph, one must be familiar with Genesis 28-45. Joseph is now…
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Three words are striking in my reflection on today’s Gospel; mission, discipleship, and proclamation. Mission Mission could be a complex term. The content of mission as bearing witness to God’s kingdom and the call to repentance is ever-enduring. However, the mode of its interpretation and communication requires more attention. I…
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