February 8, 2026
5th Sunday in Ordinary Time We’ve heard the phrase a thousand times. “You are the salt of the earth.” The Romans had the saying, “Nil utilius sole et sale.” There’s nothing more useful than sun and salt. They believed that salt was the purest element of the earth because it came from basic components of […]
February 7, 2026
Jesus said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” People were coming and going in great numbers, and they had no opportunity even to eat. (Mark 6:31) The disciples had just returned from their mission and were depleted. Jesus knew they needed to regain their strength. Mark’s comment […]
February 6, 2026
Memorial of Saints Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs The 26 priests and brothers honored today were arrested for being Christians. Taken to the public square of Meakoto to the city’s principal Shinto temple, they each had a piece of their left ear cut off and then were paraded from city to city for weeks with […]
February 5, 2026
Baptismal Day of Saint Peter Julian Eymard in 1811 On February 5, 1811, the day after his birth, Saint Peter Julian Eymard was baptized in the church of his hometown of La Mure d’Isère, France. The church is now known as the Chapel of Saint Peter Julian Eymard. In 1865, on his second retreat in […]
February 4, 2026
There are a few conflicting lines in today’s Gospel. Jesus is teaching in the synagogue of his own town, and those in attendance, his neighbors, were in admiration for his wisdom and the mighty works done by his hands. But then comes the flipside. He scandalized them as he was “just one of them.” Jesus […]
February 3, 2026
“If you believe, then you shall live!” Saying (and praying) “I believe!” is something Catholic Christians do regularly. A single word says it in Latin: “Credo!”, leading directly to our English word “Creed.” It is the Nicene Creed we pray out loud at Mass. That text was fashioned in Nicaea by about 300 bishops whom […]
February 2, 2026
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Today we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord! A feast day seemingly filled with contradictions, good news, and bad. Certainly, Immaculate Mary did not require purification, however she faithfully fulfilled the law of Moses. In this moment, the Holy Family demonstrates the virtues we are […]
February 1, 2026
4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Research into the Beatitudes leads one to conclude that there is little agreement among biblical scholars about their meaning and what Jesus really intended to convey. One thing that becomes clear is that the Beatitudes are meant to be either extraordinary challenges for many Christians or promises in an eschatological/future […]
January 31, 2026
Memorial of Saint John Bosco, Priest On that day, as evening drew on, Jesus said to his disciples: “Let us cross to the other side.” In the Eucharist, we find ourselves crossing to the other side, to the kingdom of heaven. In our liturgy, the divine comes to earth, and the glory of God is […]
January 30, 2026
How marvelous and hopeful is the parable of the mustard seed. It is the metaphor for so many attributes of the Kingdom of Heaven. Saint Carlo Acutis said, when we face the sun, we get a tan, but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints. The mustard seed starts its journey […]