The themes in today’s gospel from Luke are mission, community, and discipleship. God calls each of us to these things. However, they look different for everyone because we were created uniquely. We each have our own calling. God uses us in big and small ways and they are equally important…
When we encounter the suffering of others, often we want to do something for them. We want to send them a great big care package with a billion little thoughtful gifts, a nice hand-written note, flowers, chocolate, etc. We want to stop by the car wreck on the road, get…
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…
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…
When Saint Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, many of whom he has never met, he introduces himself with three powerful truths: he is a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, and set apart for the Gospel of God (Rom 1:1). These words reveal not only…
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Grace and Peace to You from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Today’s readings place two paths right before us. One is our true calling in God, our real identity. The other is the path that we often take; the temptation of…
In today’s Gospel pericope, we read of the proclamation of blessedness in relation to Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and by extension to all Christians. Of the two beatitudes expressed to Mary in today’s Gospel, one is spoken by a woman, perhaps a mother, who raises her voice in the…
If we could strip away the veil of our material world, we would discover that reality is thick with spiritual warfare. The Enemy and the evil spirits are real, constantly seeking to pervert the goodness of our world and our souls. Though today we may not encounter demonic possession as…
“I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loath to punish” (Jonah 4:2). These words, spoken by the prophet Jonah in the first reading of today (Jonah 4:1-11), reveal a profound truth about God’s nature, a truth that both comforts and challenges us.…
Today’s readings remind us of the importance of listening to God’s voice and heeding its commands. The first reading begins with the line, “The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time.” We all know what happened the first time the word of the Lord came to Jonah.…