Lenten Resources
The little becomes big. The dead thing becomes living. The hidden thing influences the rest. These mysterious truths underlie Jesus’ images of the Kingdom of God. What we hope for—a great plant, bread to eat, as examples—requires faith in the power of a tiny, dead seed and a hidden but active yeast. These seemingly…
Freedom! We Americans value it very highly and tend to believe we invented it. But it is as old as Adam and Eve and one of God’s most precious gifts. In fact, it was for the sake of freedom that God gave the Israelites the Law, and it was for the sake of freedom…
We are in another election cycle, and candidates for office are asked what they stand for and what matters most to them. Their opponents try to get them to commit to a single value, so they can accuse them of neglecting other values. Are you for cutting taxes or supporting the poor? Strong government…
“Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (Ephesians 4:7). St. Paul preaches Jesus as the giver of all gifts and the model for how to carry the cross(es) each person receives. The gift and the cross are both given to build up the Body of Christ, the…
How does anyone decide if something has value? If one has any interest at all in a topic, he may read up on it or listen to someone talk about it. His level of interest will determine how far he wants to dive in. In the early 50s AD, St. Paul visited Ephesus. The…
In St. Luke’s Gospel, Jesus plainly tells his disciples that following him may often be more turbulent than smooth. The earth will be set afire. There will be division, not peace. Families will be divided. Relationships will be severed. God has tasked St. Paul with establishing faith communities that follow Christ’s teaching, all the…
No one is an island. No one is self-sufficient. Even a hermit cannot fulfill all his needs. St. Paul was an entrepreneur in God’s plan. He had a divinely inspired message. He had the willingness to take this message to foreign lands and foreign peoples. And he had the courage to endure persecution that…
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival” (Luke 12:37). St. Paul spent the latter part of his life establishing Churches (Christian faith communities) because he knew the importance of mutual support, encouragement, and accountability. The following has been heavily borrowed and adapted, from Abbot Paul Delatte’s commentary on Chapter…
This week at Mass, all the first readings are from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. All the Gospel readings are from St. Luke. St. Paul will frequently use a compare-and-contrast style (for example, “You were once …, but now you are . . .). Jesus will frequently challenge the prevailing notion that what…
In the prophecy from the Book of Isaiah, a different kind of ruler is described. Unlike most of those in power at the time (and maybe even in our day), Cyrus, King of the Persians, is a leader with a conscience. After defeating Babylon, he is chosen by God to return the Jewish exiles…
We conclude these final reflections this week with the first century bishop and martyr Ignatius of Antioch showing us what it means to “walk the talk.” The critical first years of the Christian community, the name first used in that city, set the tone and the image of lively enthusiasm for sharing the new…
Jesus, always the master teacher, used a common ingredient as a teaching tool in the Gospel today. Everyone got the point. He talked about the power of leaven which is buried in the fresh dough soon to be baked as bread. In an amazing way even a small amount of leaven can permeate the…
How many times does solving a murder mystery hinge on finding the secret key. The key might unlock a door, a safety deposit box, or a riddle. The one who has the key controls the outcome which is a heavy responsibility. The mission of Jesus was not to hide the Mystery of Salvation behind…
Integrity is a term frequently used in recent months referring to a dam or an earthen levee that gives way to the flood waters pushing against it. Those huge structures, thought to be so massive and permanent, will sometimes break through when a weak spot is neglected. If we apply this notion of integrity…
We can wonder how a certain dishwashing detergent can advertise on the bottle: “50% less scrubbing!” How can they say that without knowing how dirty the dishes are, the water temperature, the brushes, the actual effort, etc.? Jesus used very ordinary familiar images to make the point that the ritually fastidious Pharisees had in…
Have you noticed how the rides in amusement parks have become more and more severe in recent decades? Speaking as an old-timer, I wonder if the yen for greater and perhaps more dangerous thrills is a commentary on the modern world’s ongoing thirst for the spectacular. Enough is never enough! Is this not the…
A hometown wedding! Can you think of anything that carries more excitement, joy, anticipation, and a sense of family? There are so many customs and preparations that need to be attended to. The many roles range all the way from the cute little flower girl who diligently drops the flower petals one by one…
“…blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Luke 11:28) In today’s Gospel, a woman praises Jesus by saying, “Blessed is the womb that carried you.” Jesus responds by pointing to something even greater: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” St. Augustine explains that…
“When an unclean spirit goes out of someone, it roams through arid regions searching for rest but, finding none, it says, ‘I shall return to my home from which I came.’” (Luke 11:24) In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that it is not enough simply to get rid of the things that lead us…
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) Whenever I read today’s passage from the Gospel of Luke, I can’t help but think of all the times I’ve prayed for something and didn’t get it. I think…
“Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” – Luke 11:2-4 In the Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, and…
“There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:42) In the Gospel story of Martha and Mary, we see two good responses to the presence of Christ. Martha is busy serving the Lord, while Mary sits at His feet and…
“He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn, and cared for him.” (Luke 10:34) In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Christ gives us a beautiful image of His mercy toward us. The man…
“There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.” (Matthew 21:33) In the parable of the vineyard, Christ presents us with a beautiful image of God’s generosity. The landowner…
Happy Marian Saturday, and to all my MIZZOU TIGER fans, happy Game Day! St. Maximilian Kolbe said about our Lady, “Be child, servant, slave of love to her in every way and under any name or formula uttered so far or devised in this our time or in the future. In one word: be…
Today is the great feast day of our dear Guardian Angels! We owe a lot to them; they are the ones who report to God our actions our deeds and our sins. As Jesus says in the gospel today, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to…
Today is the great feast day of one of the greatest missionaries who never set foot outside her convent! St. Therese of the Child Jesus wanted to be a missionary but knew that, with her health, the Lord was not calling her to do this. Our Lord said in the gospel today, which is…
Today is the feast day of St. Jerome. St. Jerome’s most famous quote is “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” In our gospel today, Jesus says, “Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.” It has been like this…
Today is the Solemnity of Sts. Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel, and are our secondary patrons at Conception Abbey! Our mother house in Engleberg, Switzerland, at Engleberg Abbey means Mountain of Angels. It is also a very special day for our McQueen family today! My great-grandfather Joe was wounded in three places during the Battle…
These readings today remind me of my grandparents, Bill and Peggy Burkhart. I know I have talked about my dear aunt Mary Joel Burkhart before. She was nine months old when she passed away on January 8, 1966—72 years earlier, St. Maximilian Kolbe was born on that date! My grandparents felt like the whole…
Today is the birthday of my twin brothers, Paul and Mike. When I used to live with my parents, I always heard them complaining to either mom or dad about how, “It’s not fair! Paul (or Mike) gets to do this, or that!” In our first reading today from the Prophet Ezekiel, the Lord…
Jesus said to his disciples, “Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men” (Luke 9:44). With these words, Jesus draws the attention of his followers away from their amazement at his miraculous deeds and points them toward the central purpose of his mission:…
King Herod’s question in our gospel narrative from St. Luke gives us pause for reflection: “‘Who then is this about whom I hear such things?’ And he kept trying to see him” (Lk 9:9). It is a question we must continually ask ourselves: Who is this Jesus? Of what importance is He in my…
In the gospel passage we read today from Luke 9:1-6, Jesus sends his twelve disciples on a mission “to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” What is significant is that he directs them to “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let…
In today’s gospel, Jesus redefines the bonds of kinship in his family: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it” (Luke 8:21). As Christians, we are all called into a closer relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. This intimacy is even deeper than that of…
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist. The gospel recounts the story of his transformative call: “As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him” (Matthew 9:9). This vocation account is…
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8). These concluding words of the first reading of today’s Liturgy help our understanding…
Harvest season is beginning. The corn in the fields that were so rich and green suffered in the blistering heat of a few days ago. Now they are being cut and sent off to the grain bins to become feed for cattle. The soybeans that were once blankets of rich green are now turning…
Am I a follower of Jesus? Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. But he was not alone. Besides the Twelve, there were others as well, mostly women, it seems, whom Jesus had cured. Perhaps it was out…
Lady Liberty stands with her eyes covered, holding the set of scales in her hand. She is trying to tell us that justice is blind. She is not swayed by rich or poor, by gender, nor by the color of a person’s skin. She is not convinced by what the person is wearing. All…