A reflection on the Responsorial Psalm for today (PS 1:1-2, 3, 4 AND 6) and the Gospel (LK 9:22-25) Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Next to the […]
Over the past two weeks, the “reform of the reform” has found its way in the news, and in a lot of discussion within the Catholic commentariat. It all started when Fr. Thomas Kocik, one of the leading lights of the reform of the reform, wrote an article stating that the current reform movement was […]
Pope Francis has asked Catholics to meditate on poverty this Lenten season, by focusing his message for Lent on St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians, that Christ “became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). The Pope’s emphasis on poverty dates back to the earliest days of his Pontificate, when […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalm 51:3-6, 12-13,17; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11) Overcoming Temptation by Standing Firm on Who You Are in Christ If you are the Son of God … (Matthew 4:3) Imagine if Jesus came up to you today, embraced you, and said, “You are my greatest […]
As we begin our Lenten season tomorrow (our Eastern brethren began it yesterday), we Catholics are given the opportunity to once again discover the key to spiritual growth, and to once again correct our vices and imperfections we have accumulated since last Lent. In many Catholic circles today, Lent is viewed simply as “what food […]
To wrap up this series on evangelization, it would be good to review briefly what’s been noted in previous articles in the series and to offer some reflections on both the goal of evangelization and the methods that bring about the fulfillment of that goal. In the first article I noted that evangelization is often […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 49:14-15; Psalm 62:2-3,6-9; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34) Rejoicing in God’s Love for Us I will never forget you. (Isaiah 49:15) Have you ever noticed how mothers have an unparalleled capacity to love? No matter how tough a job she has raising her children, a mother […]
The Pew Research Center recently released a report, Celebrating Christmas and the Holidays, Then and Now, that offers a revealing look at the growing secularism of America’s young adults. According to Pew, although nine out of ten Americans celebrate Christmas, barely half (51%) view Christmas as primarily a religious holiday. Nearly a third (32%) celebrate […]
In comments that became controversial the instant they were reported, the traditionalist weblog Rorate Caeli gave us the following translation from Vatican Radio: [Abp. Jan Graubner speaks:] When we were discussing those who are fond of the ancient liturgy and wish to return to it, it was evident that the Pope speaks with great affection, attention, and […]
“Jesus is the greatest treasure in the universe. Jesus is better than anything—even the Super Bowl. If you have Jesus, it’s still awesome, whether you win or lose.” In a recent television interview, Rocky Seto, a coach for the Seattle Seahawks, the NFL champions of Super Bowl 48, expressed his belief that faith in Jesus […]
James “the brother of the Lord,” was a kinsman of Jesus. James became the first bishop of Jerusalem, a post he held from AD 40 until 62 when he was martyred under the persecution wrought by Herod Agrippa. The urgent work that James accomplished—he was a very productive leader—was to commission the Apostles to evangelize […]
“Be courageous, and go to confession,” was the message Pope Francis delivered at his Weekly General Audience on Wednesday, February 19, 2014. This was the seventh General Audience of the year, part of a cycle of weekly talks dedicated to the Church’s Sacraments. In his straightforward way, Francis called on those present to silently ask […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection and Group Discussion (Leviticus 19:1-2,17-18; Psalm 103:1-4,8,10,12-13; 1 Corinthians 3:16-23; Matthew 5:38-48) Godly Perfection, Loving and Forgiving our Enemies Be perfect. (Matthew 5:48) Perfect? Isn’t that impossible? Let’s take a look. Before Jesus spoke these words, a workable system was already in place: “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Deuteronomy 19:21). […]
One of the phrases people quote about Pope Francis is his exhortation that “shepherds must smell like their sheep.” If you ask ten people what this means, you will likely get ten different answers. Nobody can agree upon what it means, but everyone can agree it is something important. I believe that as always, the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflectoin/Group Discussion (Isaiah 58:7-10; Psalm 112:4-9; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5; Matthew 5:13-16) What it Means to Demonstrate the Power of God to Others … with a demonstration of spirit and power. (1 Corinthians 2:4) Christians are called to be kind and generous, to serve those in need, and to be honest and […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 8:23–9:3; Psalm 27:1,4,13-14; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17; Matthew 4:12-23) The Power of Forgivness in Healing Divisions I urge … that you be united. (1 Corinthians 1:10) The Corinthian church was out of control. Some members were visiting prostitutes. One was even having an affair with his stepmother! […]
The death of Jesus Christ—the liturgy par excellence, the supreme oblation and fulfillment of Israel’s sacrificial system—occurred outside the holy precincts of the temple, thus demolishing the rigid dichotomy between the sacred and the profane. The Christian knows no “temple” but his body, wherein the Spirit dwells individually; and the church, wherein the Spirit dwells […]
John the Baptist stood waist deep in the Jordan River. Thousands of faith-seekers came to be baptized by John for the forgiveness of sins. John believed that baptizing was his calling in life, the reason that he was born; indeed it was. Then one day Jesus arrived and the life and mission of the Baptist took on a […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 49:3,5-6; Psalm 40:2,4,7-10; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34) Seeing Jesus More Clearly, a Work of the Holy Spirit I did not know him. (John 1:33) When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin […]
A frequent refrain to those who love traditional liturgical piety is that our piety, while nice and beautiful, is no longer culturally relevant. They tell us it is near impossible to teach today’s generation with these bygone customs. One of the customs they believe this applies to most is the issue of saying Mass ad […]
When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This […]
At first glance, the scene makes little sense. John’s strident call to repentance provokes an overwhelming response. People of all shapes and sizes flock to him in the wilderness. They are baptized in the Jordan as a sign of repentance and cleansing. Suddenly, out of the crowd steps John’s cousin, Jesus. Wait a minute. What’s […]
The Baptism of the Lord Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 42:1-4,6-7; Psalm 29:1-4,9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17) View NAB Reading at USCCB.org At Jesus’ Baptism, The Sinless One is One With Us esus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan. (Matthew 3:13) It’s a big day! After thirty hidden years […]
“I was never more hated than when I tried to be honest. Or when, even as just now I’ve tried to articulate exactly what I felt to be the truth.” Ralph Ellison, Invisible Man Christmas flows into 2014, and the busy-ness of the worldly life pulls us away from our true center. These times when we are […]
