August 16, 2024
[Jesus] said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.” Mark’s version of this passage on divorce is even stricter than what we find in Matthew. Matthew allows for an exception, as does Paul. However, all passages remind us […]
August 15, 2024
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Today, we commemorate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 974) teaches, “The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she […]
August 14, 2024
Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” The six verses from Matthew, chapter 18, offer an essential lesson for all of us in how to live our lives in relationship to others. The first five verses […]
August 13, 2024
The Cleveland Museum of Art Artlens Gallery offers a wonderful opportunity to create, explore, and interact with the art contained in the Museum. This is done through award-winning digital technology. Recently, I had the chance to visit the Gallery with an eight-year-old child. Although I had been there many times, this was the first time […]
August 12, 2024
One-liners, like today’s Alleluia verse, can easily be incompletely understood. Putting them into context in our lives requires reviewing chapter 2 of Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians. Then we realize why today’s reading is examined: choices (behaviors) have consequences. The chosen people, over and over, chose not to follow the messages of God’s prophets. The reading […]
August 11, 2024
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you. These words from Ephesians present a challenging task. Reflecting on the cost of living them in our relationships may cause us to echo the words of Elijah, “This is enough, O Lord.” (1 Kings 19:4). Actually, […]
August 10, 2024
Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr Today’s Scripture passages are extremely rich in visuals! All gardeners can so relate to their message. If you grow roses, you know the value of pruning. When you remove the little buds surrounding the central bud, you will reap the reward of a prize-winning flower! If you remove […]
August 9, 2024
Is there nothing better than when someone close, a client, a neighbor, or even a casual friend you bump into has good news to share? Something in life elicits such joy, such a feeling of gratitude, a “Thank you, Jesus!” or an Eymardian “May God Be Praised!” What good news are you praying for today? […]
August 8, 2024
What Are You Thinking? It happens all the time. People say things and do things, but everything is misinterpreted. We have a way of jumping in, thinking we know what’s happening, only to find out we were wrong. Before we act, we think, and our thinking is muddled with many complications, often unexpected distortions. If […]
August 7, 2024
In our first reading, Jeremiah proclaims God’s eternal love and mercy for God’s people. “With an age-old love, I have loved you, and so I have kept my mercy toward you.” This is a powerful pronouncement! But it is not new! This same God brought the whole of creation into existence. God chose Abraham to […]