February 25, 2026
Have you ever sat with someone having a blood transfusion? Fortunate to have that experience as an intern chaplain, I remember the patient coming in lethargic, pale, barely verbal. A family member who usually sat with their loved one during the transfusion called ahead of time and requested a chaplain to be present since they […]
February 24, 2026
Our words climb up with faith, and God’s word comes down with might. As we begin our journey in the desert, we are confronted with this beautiful text from Isaiah, which speaks of the strength and effect of the Word of God. It comes down and accomplishes that which it intends. This text helps us […]
February 23, 2026
Mountain Metaphor The human race has honored, respected, and communicated with mountains since the Stone Age. In the landscape, mountains have interpreters, but one thing about mountains is that if you climb one and succeed, the experience is transformational. However, climbing Mount Everest or Sinai may not be on a bucket list, but still, we […]
February 22, 2026
1st Sunday of Lent Today, we celebrate the First Sunday of Lent, and scripture appropriately begins at the beginning. How did we get here? Must we look at the darkness of sin once again? It certainly is uncomfortable for us to think of ourselves as people who sin. Many years ago, our pastor delivered a […]
February 21, 2026
When we come together and place justice, compassion, and sincere worship at our center, something extraordinary happens: conflicts lose their sharp edges, and differences stop feeling like threats. People begin seeing each other as equals, or they should. Justice creates fairness, compassion nourishes our relationships, and worship (in whatever form) grounds people in humility and […]
February 20, 2026
“Why do we fast, and you do not see it? afflict ourselves, and you take no note of it?” This complaint to God is appropriate as we begin the Lenten season. The entire first reading is taken up with this question. It faces us with the question of what a true fast is, but also […]
February 19, 2026
The Liturgy of the Word today places before us an obvious choice. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses says to the people: “Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom.” God respects our freedom, yet he urgently invites us: “Choose life.” The Gospel according to Saint Luke shows us the concrete […]
February 18, 2026
Ash Wednesday Today, we begin our penitential journey through the forty days of Lent as we prepare to celebrate the central mystery of our faith: the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. As we begin our journey, we are challenged by the prophet Joel to rend our hearts. Many of our hearts have been rent […]
February 17, 2026
Preparing for Lent implies we’re also preparing for change. Today’s gospel ends with Mark writing, “He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’” It implies that the very obvious (to us) is initially missed by the disciples. And today’s epistle begins with James encouraging people who have embraced the Eucharist in their lives: […]
February 16, 2026
Mark 8:11-13 connects to the Eucharist by highlighting the Pharisees’ demand for a sign, which Jesus denies, instead pointing to himself as the true sign, the Bread of Life, foreshadowing how He is truly present in the “breaking of the bread” (Eucharist) where we receive Him as spiritual food for eternal life, not just temporary […]