Lenten Resources

  We hear the Gospel stories again and again. Some of them become so familiar that we tend to give them a mental nod of recognition and file them away in the “reference” section of our memory. That’s our “go to google” place to check when something sounds vaguely familiar. Today’s story of the Pharisees…

  For those of us having reached the “golden years,” do you remember the very first episodes of the TV series “Mission Impossible?” Remember how the details of the mission were hidden on a cassette tape. Dramatically, the tape would then self-destruct in a puff of smoke! Such extreme challenges and such “high-tech” gadgets for…

  Children often begin their spiritual development with blunt questions that can stump us. Some of those questions linger even into adult life, like: “Who is God?” or “What is God like?” People of all ages, including our best philosophers and theologians, continue to wrestle with those basic, fascinating and challenging questions. Our Scripture readings…

  This is a great day for Franciscans! We all love family celebrations when we get to spend time with our favorite aunts, uncles, and cousins by the dozens. We rejoice with our Franciscan cousins as we honor today the memory and impact of St. Bonaventure on the Church and the entire world. Born in…

  One can wonder about the significance of a single life of only 24 years ending in 1680. Was it just a pebble dropped in quiet water? Our thoughts radiate from that moment in upper New York State marking the death of St. Kateri Tetakwitha, later to be called Lilly of the Mohawks. Our modern…

  We are told that the origins of familiar tune “Twinkle, twinkle, little star” are lost to history, but we do know that in the 1780’s Mozart wrote 12 piano variations on the tune as practice pieces for his students. Is this an example of something simple, embedded in our consciousness, and yet hidden in…

  Going home. The end of the book of Genesis takes place in Egypt. Joseph, the son of the patriarch Jacob, had arrived first as a slave, but rose to become second only to Pharoah. Jacob and the rest of his family came there looking for food during a famine. All the tribes of Israel…

  The Catholic Church today memorializes St. Benedict of Nursia (Italy). It is a day of solemn celebration for Benedictines throughout the world. During his lifetime, not much fuss was made of Benedict. His achievements, most notably his Holy Rule for Monks, were barely known. His quiet witness and that of his followers only became…

  Love always looks for what is best for others (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). Before a person can love in the way God asks, that person must be able to trust God and let go of self-desires. This can only happen with God’s grace, and it may take a lifetime. Joseph suffered much at the hands…

  The Messiah, Christ, was anticipated in the Old Testament in the person of Joseph, son of the patriarch Jacob. Joseph was one of twelve sons born to Jacob. The angel of God, with whom Jacob wrestled, gave him the new name of Israel. His sons, therefore, became the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of…

  Free will is a God-given gift not to be taken lightly. When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them the “Our Father.” There are seven petitions in that prayer, but the one which makes me pause is “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Thy…

  God meets us where we are. With the help of his mother, the patriarch Jacob had to leave home quickly. He had stolen his brother’s birthright. He had deceived his father and received the blessing that was meant for the oldest son. Passing through unknown territory on his way to Haran, he tired and…

  “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you” (Luke 10: 4, 7). “The world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6: 14). If I cannot live so radically and so simply, am I truly a…

  Blessing Stolen, Blessing Restored The story of Jacob and Rebekah’s deception of Isaac is a little humorous but quite naughty. A mother conspires against her elder son; the younger son lies to his blind father; and a blessing is stolen—or so it seems. We could rightly ask: how could God work through such trickery?…

  The Freedom to Be As we celebrate the birth of our nation, we rightly give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy. We often think of freedom in civic and political terms. But I’d like to reflect on another kind of freedom nestled within the soul of this country: the wild, natural beauty of the…

  Encountering the Risen Lord St. Thomas is often remembered as “Doubting Thomas,” because he would not believe in the appearance of Jesus risen unless he saw him with his own eyes and even touched his wounds. Yet, are we too quick to judge that as negative? Perhaps what was behind Thomas’ doubt was not…

  God Hears the Outcast The story of Sarah casting out Hagar and her son Ishmael is a difficult one to hear. Sarah’s jealousy and fear lead her to demand that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away, not wanting them to share in her son Isaac’s inheritance. Yet, God tells Abraham, “Do not be distressed…I…

  Sin Has Consequences Today we hear from Genesis 19, in the midst of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Yet, God is just and rescues Lot and his family. The story is both a warning and a call. It warns of the consequences of unchecked sin and the societal decay it breeds. Yet, it…

  The Justice of God The story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is sobering, not merely because of its severity, but because of what it reveals about God’s justice. In today’s first reading from Genesis 18, we hear Abraham appealing to justice: “Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” (Gen…

  Today we honor two pillars of the Church: Peter, the rock upon whom Christ built His Church; and Paul, the apostle whom Christ chose for the mission to the Gentiles. Not often does the Church celebrate pairs of saints. When we do, there is something added and inextricably linked between them. What strikes me…

  It is a happy coincidence that on this memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the response to the first reading for Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time is Mary’s Magnificat. In the context of the weekday readings this canticle appears as a song of praise for the Lord’s wondrous message to…

  Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. At its core, this feast is a celebration of our Savior’s merciful love for us—a magnanimous love that knows no bounds. Most stock raisers would laugh upon hearing today’s Gospel story of the shepherd who would leave his entire flock untended to…

  “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. Mt 7:24 Pope Benedict XVI once commented on this scripture verse: “The one who builds on sand builds only on visible and tangible things, on success, on career, on money…But…

  In the gospel acclamation for today’s Eucharist, we hear Jesus’ words: “Remain in me, as I remain in you…whoever remains in me will bear much fruit” (Jn 15:4a,5b). It is a useful key to understanding the gospel passage from St. Matthew about fruit borne by good trees and bad trees—in this case, good disciples…

  Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Last Friday, June 20, was Summer Solstice, the longest day of sunlight of the entire year. So, what does that have to do with this feast? The Fathers of the Church saw a spiritual connection between the solstice and St. John’s birth…

  “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” (Mt 7:3) In his book “Interior Freedom,” Fr. Jacques Philippe made this profound remark: “At times of struggle we need also to recall the conversion we should be concerned about is not our…

  “Give them some food yourselves” (Lk 9:13). One can only imagine the look on the faces of the disciples when Jesus told them to feed the crowd of nearly five thousand people standing in front of them. Jesus rejected their suggestion of sending the crowd off to the neighboring farms and villages to find…

  Our first reading and Gospel today communicate similar themes of relying on God’s grace. St. Paul was a great man who had spread the Christian faith far more than many could have anticipated, yet he boasts of his weakness rather than of his accomplishments. He goes so far as to relate that he has…

  Robbers will generally go straight to the master bedroom when they enter a house because they know that people keep most of their valuables in their personal rooms rather than out in the more public areas of the house. In those public areas, our valuables are more vulnerable to accidents or to covetous eyes.…

  Our Faith and the Scriptures have given us many good prayers that are beneficial to us. They address different aspects of life and remind us of the ways that God interacts with his people. We perform these prayers to turn us away from temptations and to keep our lives focused on God, drawing us…

  It is often said, “You have to spend money to make money.” This statement expresses that most capitalistic endeavors require a lot of investment in resources, production, and advertising before they will produce a profit. It encourages those who hesitate to invest their assets out of fear that no profit will come. St. Paul…

  Justice is a virtue, something good that we seek for the goodness of the world. When we commit harmful acts, we bring evil upon another person, and that evil does not simply go away. Justice seeks to balance the evil committed so that the one who is harmed can be freed from the evil…

  St. Paul endured many hardships in his missionary work, and he accepted these hardships because he knew the Lord Jesus and how he had accomplished our salvation. Paul was a great Pharisee before his conversion, studying the Law and practicing Judaism with precise adherence to the point that he persecuted the first Christians for…

  The Trinitarian nature of God is one of the great mysteries of theology. How can God be three Persons and yet one? This appears to be a paradox, but certain traits of God reveal how necessary it is that God be Trinitarian. For God is love. The truest form of love is self-gift, offering…

  Have you ever done something you didn’t want to do—but did it anyway—because you loved someone? That’s what St. Paul is talking about today. “The love of Christ impels us.” Not guilt. Not pressure. Not appearances. Love. Real love moves us to act, to speak, to live differently. And not just our love for…

  Have you ever dropped something fragile—glass, pottery—and watched it shatter in an instant? St. Paul gives us a powerful image today: “We hold this treasure in earthen vessels.” We are fragile, breakable, imperfect. And yet God chooses us—cracked clay jars—to carry His light, His life, His love. Why? So that no one mistakes the…

  Have you ever had a debt hanging over your head—not just financial, but something unresolved in a relationship? A word you regret, a wound left open, forgiveness never offered? Jesus says something today that hits hard: “Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” He’s…

  Have you ever been picked for something that changed your life? In Acts, we hear how Barnabas went to look for Saul—not because Saul was popular or successful, but because the Spirit was at work. The Church in Antioch was growing fast, and the Lord’s hand was clearly guiding it. Then something striking happens:…

  St. Paul tells us today that in Christ, “it is always ‘Yes.’” God’s answer to us—through Jesus—is never maybe, never later, never no. It is always a resounding, life-giving yes. And because of that, we are called to say yes in return—to trust Him, to let His light shine through us. Jesus puts it…

  Today, we honor Mary not just as the Mother of Jesus, but as the Mother of the Church—our Mother. At the foot of the Cross, in the most painful moment of her life, Mary receives a new mission. Jesus says to the beloved disciple, “Behold, your mother.” In that moment, He gives her to…