January 23, 2026

At first glance, it can seem impossible for justice and mercy to coexist. Yet in the Trinitarian God of love, they are perfectly united. The first reading shows us how justice and mercy work together in David’s dilemma with Saul. David had every right, in justice, to end Saul’s life and free himself from relentless […]

January 22, 2026

Day of Prayer for Protection of the Unborn Children    Reading the daily Scriptures or the daily newspaper has this in common: They reveal the complexity of the human heart. Today’s first reading unveils King Saul’s struggle with jealousy as he watches David’s success, while also highlighting the strength of friendship through Jonathan’s compassionate intercession. […]

January 21, 2026

Jesus proposes a dilemma to the religious leaders in this incident. This man’s hand is withered. “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or do evil, to save life or destroy it?” Jesus often clashed with the religious scholars on their insistence that the laws of the Sabbath and other ritual rules were […]

January 20, 2026

Jesus was happy in the Temple when Mary and Joseph found him after his Bar Mitzvah. Yet he went back to Nazareth and began to understand his Father’s presence and to absorb the consequences of who he was from Joseph and Mary. Mary, Jesus’s principal teacher and guide, turned to the waiters at Cana and […]

January 19, 2026

We read today that God values heartfelt obedience more than mere external religious acts. While the Eucharist is a central sacrament and act of worship, participating in it without genuine obedience and repentance is an “empty religious practice.” Saul believed he could use the “stolen” livestock to offer a better sacrifice to God, but Samuel […]

January 18, 2026

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Here am I, Lord, I come to do your will. As we begin Ordinary time in the Church year, we pause to reflect on what we have just celebrated—the wonder of God’s will to be God with us, God one of us. We marvel at the great events and those […]

January 17, 2026

Jesus said, “Those who are well, do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Jesus’ choice to eat with tax collectors and sinners was radical, and let’s face it, Jesus was a maverick. He challenged the boundaries of rituals and outcasting. He challenged the Pharisees and their teachings, their understanding of the Torah, and even […]

January 16, 2026

Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise, pick up your mat and walk?” There are many similar stories in the gospels. The pattern is somewhat the same. Jesus does something amazing, and people find a reason to find fault with it. In this case, after Jesus […]

January 15, 2026

The First Reading shows Israel in a time of weak faith. After losing in battle, they treated the Ark of the Covenant like a “good-luck charm,” hoping it would guarantee victory. But they were defeated again, and the Ark was taken. God cannot be forced or manipulated by rituals or holy objects; He asks for […]

January 14, 2026

One theme of the many to be found in today’s readings is the focus of the Responsorial Psalm, and its refrain, “Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will.” This could be the prophet Samuel speaking of his experience in the first reading, where he is serving the priest Eli and sleeping near […]