November 22, 2023
Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr Many roads served the ancient city of Rome. On one, well beyond the old city walls, you may still see on both sides Roman era tombs; beyond the decaying pagan monuments, there are now large areas of manicured gardens, clipped hedges, and flowering trees. These cover a great […]
November 21, 2023
Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus pass by. He could have stood in the middle of the crowd, but something urged him on; he wanted more. Jesus said to the crowd about Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too […]
November 20, 2023
When Jesus shows up, you never know what is going to happen. Bartimaeus, the blind man in today’s gospel, knows why Jesus is nearby. It’s tough being blind, and he is shouting, desperate to be able to see. Bartimaeus has excellent faith, praying for a miracle that Jesus, in his mercy, will help him. He […]
November 19, 2023
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time The parable of the talents is one of those that goes on and on. Very briefly, a wealthy man, preparing to go on a journey, entrusts three of his servants with his wealth. He gives five talents to one, two to another, and one to another. The servant entrusted with […]
November 18, 2023
“Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary” (Luke 18:1). The dictionary defines weary as “feeling or showing tiredness, especially as a result of excessive exertion or lack of sleep.” I remember calling my mother the night before a big college test, overwhelmed with all the […]
November 17, 2023
Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it. The gospel passage today is a bit unsettling. It speaks about people being swept away by the flood and dying from fire and brimstone raining down on them. As we approach the […]
November 16, 2023
I like to tell my wife that my home is wherever she is, wherever my children are, wherever my parents and siblings are, wherever my loved ones are, and wherever I find God among us. Wherever that higher calling of love is, that is home. In the same way that my heart has allegiance to […]
November 15, 2023
Today’s readings focus on two virtues: wisdom and gratitude. Each of these virtues is a necessary component of living a full life in society. Wisdom helps us make right judgments, focus on what is important, and live by a set of values with a positive goal in view. Gratitude is the virtue that acknowledges that […]
November 14, 2023
“We are unprofitable servants. We have done what we were obliged to do.” At first, I found this Gospel of Luke hard to swallow because it somehow twisted my image of God at the back of my head – a God that “should” be delighted with my good works. As I read this passage repeatedly, […]
November 13, 2023
The Book of Wisdom tells us that God “is found by those who test him not, and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.” Why this double negative? Creation – the cosmos and the earth with myriads of radio waves penetrating the earth, the bowels of the earth with its minerals, seas […]