Daily Reflections
There is nothing like a piece of ripe fruit. It is beautiful, colorful, juicy, sweet, nutritious, and delicious. In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that good fruit can only come from a good tree and bad fruit (think rotten, spoiled, foul odor, unsatisfying), can only come from a bad tree.…
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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). Mary, A True Disciple of Jesus Christ Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. This feast grew in popularity in the 12th Century, even…
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On 13 September 335, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (also called the Church of the Resurrection) was dedicated. The following day, the cross that Empress Helena had discovered on 14 September 320, was venerated in a solemn ceremony. In 614, the Persian King, Chosroes II, waged war on the…
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On the memorial of St. John Chrysostom, I would like to reflect on the Gospel of Mark 4:1-10, 13-20, which is the Gospel proper to the Memorial. This periscope, often referred to as the Parable of the Sower, holds profound significance for Christians seeking to navigate the challenges of living…
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Preamble – Dear Friends – I prepared a Reflection that I did not really like, so I contacted Richard Jones, former Anglican priest – now fervent Catholic- for his insight. He proposed the following which I Iiked so much that I forwarded it unedited, as he submitted. Here it is:…
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Last month I was fortunate enough to hear Father Spitzer speak on suffering. It just so happens that today’s first reading is about suffering as well. So, I thought I would share some key takeaways from the talk. Each year, for the past few years, I have been invited to…
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Confrontation is uncomfortable. Settling a perceived wrong with the person who has done it takes us out of our comfort zone. Far easier it is to complain about it to someone else or to brood over the wound on our own. Yet in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus exhorts his disciples…
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My experience feeds my imagination, particularly when it comes to trial and suffering. I do spend idle time reimagining the experience as it could have been. Of course, this bordered on fantasy in my youth. The new screenplay adds a different setting, spiced with elements of dashing bravery, courage, and…
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The Catholic Church celebrates Mary’s birthday on September 8th, nine months after the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. Most of what we know about Mary’s birth are based on a tradition that stems from the 2nd century, the Protoevangelium of James. There, it says that Joachim the…
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We do not cease praying for youand asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s willthrough all spiritual wisdom and understanding ~ First Reading Knowing the will of God is often looked upon as a mystical gift, a hidden treasure reserved for the few, yet Jesus teaches…
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