October 17, 2023
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr The heavens proclaim the glory of God. Psalm 19:2a God reveals to us in Genesis 1:27 God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. In today’s gospel, Jesus uses the metaphor of a clean […]
October 16, 2023
What tricks do you have to remind yourself to do something? A string around your finger, a kitchen timer, your cell phone, or computer alerts? Is the engine light “on” in your car telling you your car needs attention? Today’s first reading strongly reminds us of who we were called to be. Saint Paul received […]
October 15, 2023
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today, we have two linked parables. The first is very well known: the story of a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. (This is a big-time celebration—no sane person would skip this bash.) But… in the story, people found excuses not to come! They were too preoccupied […]
October 14, 2023
Let our thoughts of the Lord’s greatness and the promise of salvation in his glorious presence fill our hearts with hope and joy! Looking around today, we may observe leaves turning color and falling. Perhaps we are picking the last of the bounty in our gardens, and if you are like me, you may be […]
October 13, 2023
Whoever is not with me is against me. Imagine you are traveling with Jesus and the disciples, as depicted in today’s Gospel. You hear this animated conversation between Jesus and those “testers.” Then Jesus says, “Whoever is not with me is against me.” Whoever is not with Jesus is against him!?! Now, that’s something to […]
October 12, 2023
Front Porches Contemporary homes have a faux front porch. It’s a bit of dressing up the front of a house. As for sitting out on the front porch, it’s just not done. We are now on a deck or patio at the back of the house. But what does a front porch have to do […]
October 11, 2023
Memorial of Saint Pope John XXIII Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples. Eleven simple words spoken by an un-named disciple. In reflecting on that moment, I’m in awe of how that casual request gave us a prayer, the Our Father, which is prayed daily by millions in hundreds of languages […]
October 10, 2023
Martha or Mary? I remember asking God why he brought me to a contemplative Congregation in the early years of my religious formation. I’m very active, so I told God that perhaps I could serve him better if he would bring me to a Congregation with orphanages or homes for the aged or those who […]
October 9, 2023
We grew up learning from others: family and friends, teachers, siblings, and classmates. Like all children, we learned rules, had meltdowns, and wanted to play. We grew up like Jonah, wanting “my” plan—not God’s. When Jesus asked the priest who was a neighbor to the Samaritan, we picture his annoyance as Jesus said, “Go and […]
October 8, 2023
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time There are a variety of optical illusion personality tests. Two interpretations of the same picture can easily be made. If you see this first, then you are this personality. This came to mind reading Isaiah and John’s parable of the vineyard. What do we see first in the story? The […]