Category: Sunday Reflections

Holiness is For All!
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Holiness is For All!

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by on Nov 01, 2014 in Catechesis, Church Street, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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At age 16, I thought that aspiring to holiness was out of the question. If you really wanted to be holy, I thought, you had to be a priest, nun, or brother. And you had to spend your days doing “religious stuff” like praying, preaching, teaching catechism, or serving the poor. But I had developed […]

Reflections for Sunday, November 2, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, November 2, 2014

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by on Oct 29, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Wisdom 3:1-9; Psalm 23:1-6; Romans 5:5-11; John 6:37-40) Praying And Interceding For Those Who Have Gone Before Us In the time of their visitation they shall shine. (Wisdom 3:7) Have you ever wondered why we bother to pray for those who have already died? After all, they’ve […]

Eight Days a Week
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Eight Days a Week

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by on Oct 25, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Sunday Reflections
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Saint Paul’s letters addressed to the Thessalonians are the oldest New Testament writings.  He wrote them during his second missionary journey, less than 20 years after the Resurrection.   On that journey he entered Europe for the first time and the Macedonian city of Thessalonica was his second stop.  In 1 Thessalonians he praises the members […]

The Radical Rabbi and the Great Commandment
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The Radical Rabbi and the Great Commandment

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by on Oct 25, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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They are at it again. In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus’ opponents enlist a lawyer to do what lawyers do best- ask a question that puts a person on the hot seat. “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:34-40). If the law consisted in only the Ten Commandments, this would be tough enough. […]

Reflections for Sunday, October 26, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, October 26, 2014

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by on Oct 22, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Exodus 22:20-26; Psalm 18:2-4,47,51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Matthew 22:34-40) Loving Others As God Has Loved Us If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate. (Exodus 22:26) Do you have children? If so, you’ve probably thought about what you would do if […]

Render unto Caesar
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Render unto Caesar

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by on Oct 18, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Despite their flattering words, they were trying to trap him, to force him into a no win situation. Consider the circumstances.  They are living under the iron boot of a brutal empire which filled the earth with its idolatry.  Patriotic Jews longed to throw off the tyrants’ yoke.  They prayed for an anointed king who […]

Reflections for Sunday, October 19, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, October 19, 2014

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by on Oct 15, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 45:1,4-6; Psalm 96:1,3-5,7-10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5; Matthew 22:15-21) Moving Forward in Faith through God’s Open Doors Thus says the Lord to his anointed … opening doors before him and leaving the gates unbarred. (Isaiah 45:1) “A new door will open for you today.” Have you ever […]

The Sneakiest of the Seven Deadly Sins
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The Sneakiest of the Seven Deadly Sins

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by on Oct 11, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Sunday Reflections
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At age 16, life was about rock ‘n roll. If my own band was not performing on Saturday night, I was out in the audience, watching another band. It would have never occurred to me to spend my Saturday nights at a Catholic conference or retreat. True, no matter how late I was out, I’d […]

Reflections for Sunday, October 12, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, October 12, 2014

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by on Oct 08, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14) Accepting Jesus’ Invitation to Say Yes to Him Cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. (Matthew 22:13) How crowded is heaven? How about hell? Theologians have debated this question for […]

Imitation of the Saints
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Imitation of the Saints

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by on Oct 04, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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One aspect of the Catholic religion that many non-Catholics don’t understand is our devotion to the saints.  Many of our ‘separated brethren’ can’t comprehend our veneration of the Roman Church’s holiest members.  Some think that we worship them and regard us as idolaters.  This isn’t true: we believe in one God which we profess every […]

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel
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Front Row With Francis: Charisms in the Church

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by on Oct 03, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Sunday Reflections
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Anyone who has ever observed young children opening gifts on Christmas morning has witnessed the sheer delight that receiving a gift can bring. Their unbridled enthusiasm as they tear open their presents brings joy to the hearts of their parents who have painstakingly sought to find the perfect gift for each child. The greatest gifts […]

Reflections for Sunday, October 5, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, October 5, 2014

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by on Oct 01, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:9,12-16,19-20; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43) Living Out Our Faith in Christ Think about these things. (Philippians 4:8) When you begin taking piano lessons, you begin by finding middle C. Then you learn how to read the notes on a page and how each note […]

St Paul: Building Bridges, Not Fences
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St Paul: Building Bridges, Not Fences

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by on Sep 27, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Following my ordination my bishop assigned me to work in two yoked parishes.  “Yoked” churches share a pastoral staff but are not merged.  The pastor and myself worked to merge the parishes. One parish was Irish.  The other was Puerto Rican.  The linguistic and traditional differences were palpable.  Often I reflected on the sixth chapter […]

Talk is Cheap
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Talk is Cheap

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by on Sep 27, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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There will never be a shortage of words.  Words are plentiful because talk is cheap.  It’s easy to make a promise.  Keeping a promise is an entirely different matter, as this Sunday’s gospel makes abundantly clear. There are over a billion people on the planet who have solemnly promised to live a life of loving […]

Reflections for Sunday, September 21, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, September 21, 2014

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by on Sep 17, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145: 2-3,8-9,17-18; Philippians 1:20-24,27; Matthew 20:1-16) Bringing Glory to God by Our Thoughts and Actions Conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:27) Paul speaks today about his desire to bring glory to Jesus by the way he thinks […]

Reflections for Sunday, September 14, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, September 14, 2014

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by on Sep 10, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78:1-2,34-38; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17) What it Means to Exalt the Cross At the name of Jesus every knee should bend. (Philippians 2:10) In A.D. 326, St. Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, discovered the true cross of Jesus near the site […]

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel
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Front Row With Francis: Mother Church

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by on Sep 08, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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In Pope Francis’ latest general audience he reminds us of how the Church is our Mother.  To many people, “mother” can mean many different things, such as love, protector, defender, leader, guide, hope, trust, friend and faith.  Hopefully, some of you can relate to your own mother and think of how she has and continues […]

Reflections for Sunday, September 7, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, September 7, 2014

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by on Sep 03, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95:1-2,6-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20) Loving Others as God Has Loved You Love your neighbor as yourself. (Romans 13:9) Have you ever noticed how the commandments that we hear most often are the ones we have the hardest time fulfilling? Take today’s second reading […]

The Cross of Jeremiah
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The Cross of Jeremiah

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by on Sep 01, 2014 in Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Jeremiah was the loneliest and saddest of the prophets but he was one of the greatest.  He was a descendant of Eli, the priest who taught the prophet Samuel.  Jeremiah did not want to be a prophet.  “I know not how to speak,” he told God.  His oracles reveal a sensitive man and the prophetic […]

Peter as Satan
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Peter as Satan

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by on Aug 30, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Truth in advertising–after all the glowing reports of the benefits of a product, potential side effects need to be mentioned.  Informed consent–before surgery, patients have to be told of all the things that could possibly go wrong.  That way, they have the chance to opt out before it’s too late. As soon had the truth […]

Reflections for Sunday, August 31, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, August 31, 2014

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by on Aug 27, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion(Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2-6,8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) Developing and Growing in the Spiritual Gift of Discernment Get behind me, Satan! (Matthew 16:23) Amazing! In one moment, Jesus tells Peter that his words “You are the Messiah” had come from God himself (Matthew 16:17). Then, almost immediately afterward, […]

Jesus and the Canaanite Woman
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Jesus and the Canaanite Woman

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by on Aug 16, 2014 in Catechesis, Columnists, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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The apostles thought she was a nuisance and asked Jesus to get rid of her.  Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon, modern-day Lebanon, and a local woman approached him for a favor.  This was pagan country, home turf of the infamous Jezebel.  The inhabitants of these parts were fondly referred to […]

Reflections for Sunday, August 17, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, August 17, 2014

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by on Aug 13, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Learn & Live the Faith, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 56:1,6-7; Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8; Romans 11:13-15,29-32; Matthew 15:21-28) The Power of Persistent Prayer Woman, great is your faith! (Matthew 15:28) Today’s Gospel reading gives us a vivid illustration of Jesus’ teaching that we need to ask, seek, and knock. Only this is not a parable or a […]

Reflections for Sunday, August 10, 2014
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Reflections for Sunday, August 10, 2014

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by on Aug 06, 2014 in Catechesis, Featured, Sunday Reflections
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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (1 Kings 19:9,11-13; Psalm 85:9-14; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-23) Learning to Listen to God’s Voice  The Lord was not in the earthquake. (1 Kings 19:11) How often have you seen a movie where God appears amidst lightning bolts and angelic choirs and then speaks in a terrifying, […]