I grew up used to hunger. There was almost enough in our kitchen but never quite enough to stop the pain in my stomach. My father went out early each day to seek work, and if no one took him on, he was ashamed to come home. My mother tried…
Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life. (Matthew 6) I must confess, I have spent an inordinate amount of time worrying this week. Like some of you, I had many cares that weighed my spirit down – deadlines at work, a children’s choir to direct and organize…
Today’s Gospel presents a fragment of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and verily, not a word spoken by the Word Made Flesh is without telling impact. We are quite literally plumb spang bang in the midst of the Great Sermon on the Mount. The successful revolt led by Jehoiada ushers…
Today’s gospel reading is pretty self-explanatory. Jesus reminds us we need not babble and add a bunch of unneeded words to our prayer. Be direct and concise. Your Father knows what you need. He Knows God knows what we are thinking. He knows what we need before we ask for…
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness before others to be admired by them.” (Mtt. 6:1) Today’s Gospel puts us at a crossroads: in life we must choose whether to be admired by others or to be seen in secret by the Father’s heart and be blessed. Beautiful things, like…
In today’s Gospel (Matthew 5:43-48), Jesus delivers one of His most counter-cultural commands: “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” He points out that even corrupt tax collectors and pagans love those who love them back. Christ, thus, demands a higher standard for His followers, challenging us…
Today’s First Reading (1 Kings 21:1-16) introduces us to a man who has everything, yet felt he had nothing because of one small missing piece. He is a concrete example of a man afflicted by the vice of “just a little more”. King Ahab looks out his palace window and…
In life, it is more common to encounter people who feel troubled, tired and abandoned. I have encountered many exhausted people. I have, myself, also felt troubled and exhausted many times because of life’s difficulties. That physical tiredness, however, could be a symptom of an inner weariness. Perhaps it’s a…
The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Mother Mary grew gradually in the life of the Church. Christians first honored Mary’s holiness because of her unique role as the Mother of Jesus. The biblical root of this feast is found especially in the Gospel of Luke, where Mary…
On the occasion of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus let us focus on the development of the Feast and on aids to its proper devotion. The Devotion Every year, 19 days after Pentecost the Church celebrates this Solemnity. The Devotion to His Wounded Heart began in…