March 18, 2024
The 23rd Psalm When watching a police drama on television, you’ve heard the expression, “I’ve got your back!” It simply means one accepts responsibility for their partner’s safety and protection. This beautiful, well-known Psalm is all about God having our back. He is there to support us; he knows us. David writes so beautifully, so […]
March 17, 2024
5th Sunday of Lent Holy Week is still a week away, but we can already feel the darkness closing in on Jesus. The gospel passage we’ve read today tells us that, as Passover was drawing near, Jerusalem was filling up with pilgrims. Some were Jews of Greek origin. They were probably converts. They had heard […]
March 16, 2024
Forgiveness is a gift quickly asked for but hard to give. Jeremiah illustrates this very clearly in today’s reading. At best, he could be described as argumentative towards God and vindictive towards his adversaries. He has accepted the call to be a prophet but argues with God over almost everything he is called to do. […]
March 15, 2024
Jesus moved about within Galilee; he did not wish to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill him. It is just over a week to the beginning of Holy Week, with its remembrance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The readings are beginning to have a more ominous tone. Today’s gospel speaks […]
March 14, 2024
Get his credentials! At times, we have to produce some paperwork to let inquisitors know that we are alive – that we are who we say we are, that we are stamped, notarized, and bonafide. Produce some identification. Wallets can hardly hold all the cards we must produce. There are medical cards, insurance cards, driver’s […]
March 13, 2024
As children, we looked up to our fathers and learned many life lessons from them. Small children imitate their dads – copying how they gesture, eat, talk, and live. In the time of Jesus, sons followed the trades of their fathers, learning their skills by observing and imitating. This is true also with Jesus. “Amen, […]
March 12, 2024
“Look, you are well; do not sin anymore so that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man had paralysis for thirty-eight years! He has no one to help him put him into the pool for the healing he longs for. What worse could happen to him? In the Old Testament, Israelites wandered in the […]
March 11, 2024
Media reports civil unrest and military action occurring on every continent except Antarctica. That sounds like the whole world is at war. Eliminating war does not bring peace; it brings nervous quiet. And there is adequate evidence our abuse of the gifts of creation is poisoning us. Jesus brings peace. “Unless you people see signs […]
March 10, 2024
4th Sunday of Lent Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent, known as Laetare Sunday, because the entrance antiphon invites us to rejoice. At this halfway point, we are invited to be joyful! We may ask why we are rejoicing in this season of penitential practice. The readings give us a clue to the reason […]
March 9, 2024
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled…. These words of reconciliation lead us to pray the Act of Contrition, the Confiteor, and when our day ends. We acknowledge the sins we have committed and sins where we failed to give love in some way. It may hurt to view […]