Lenten Resources
Do you believe that God loves you? Do you believe that Christ willingly gave his life to save you? Trusting that God loves us can be a hard reality to accept sometimes. We may have had a difficult upbringing, and we were taught that we must earn love from a parent, and thus, we…
Continue Reading“Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste.” These words speak to each of us in various ways. It can easily correspond to our nation, our Church, our parishes, and often our homes. It can, however, also refer to our hearts. We have competing desires and hopes in our personal lives. You may…
Continue ReadingHave you ever considered what Israel’s vocation was? They are God’s chosen people, and God called them, through Abraham, to be a people with a mission. That mission, outlined in our first reading from Deuteronomy, was to show their “wisdom and intelligence to the nations…for what great nation is there that has gods so…
Continue ReadingDo you pay attention to the Our Father? You have probably prayed it many, many times. Sometimes, we forget to pay attention and understand what we say because we become so used to reciting it. One line of the Our Father stands out as particularly important, yet we skim right over it, “forgive us…
Continue ReadingHave you ever heard the modern parable of the man asking to be saved from an oncoming flood? He prays to God, “save me!” Each time a set of rescuers come—a fireman, a boat, a helicopter—the man says, “no, God is going to save me.” The man dies from the flood and asks God,…
Continue ReadingThe first reading from Exodus and the Gospel from John speak of thirsting for water from two very different perspectives. After setting out from Egypt, Israel began complaining they had too little water. Traveling with such a large group, think thousands, and with their livestock, they would have required much water. It is a…
Continue Reading“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” In another place the scribes and Pharisees will ask, “Who but God can forgive sins” (Mark 2:7)? Indeed, forgiveness of sins is what reveals Jesus’ divinity. It was absolute blasphemy for this man to do what was possible for God alone. Fr. Francis Carvajal comments: The…
Continue ReadingWhy does Jesus say that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from the Jewish leaders and given to others? Israel was not just made God’s Chosen People but that designation also had a vocation. Their calling as the smallest but most blessed nation was to be a Light to the Nations. They…
Continue ReadingSt. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s religious order, the Missionaries of Charity, specializes in its foundation house on one thing. They find people on the streets of Calcutta who are dying in abject poverty. They bring them to their hostel, wash them, give them a clean bed, and treat them with the dignity of a…
Continue ReadingWhy is Lent forty days? Why do we celebrate Lent every year? Because it takes a lifetime to be conformed to Christ. Perseverance and constancy are hard. Those who become martyrs were frequently not last-minute zealous disciples. Rather, their choice each day to place the Father’s will first allow them to make the ultimate…
Continue ReadingThe comedian and actor Adam Sandler once had a standup bit where he said that when his family asked about whatever happened to an ex-girlfriend, he would just say: “She’s dead, Grandma.” The point was that it was too tedious to get into why the relationship went south or to have to admit failure.…
Continue ReadingOne of the strains of Jewish theology found in the first part of the Old Testament is known as the Deuteronomic Principle. The basic notion is that if an individual or the people as a whole are faithful to the ordinances of the Lord, one or corporately they will receive blessings corresponding to obedience.…
Continue ReadingA Diptych is a hinged, two-panel painting. Although both panels may make up a single scene, they are often separate images that are nonetheless connected thematically. Typically, one panel only finds its meaning when compared to the next. An example is the Wilton Diptych (c. 1395-1399). It was a kind of portable altar…
Continue Reading“He is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways.” Ever since God walked with Abraham and Sarah, the Biblical question is the same – ‘Will you come along with me on your journey through life?’ Companionship with God implies holiness, and likeness to God. Doing things God’s way. We…
Continue Reading“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.” It has been said that the reason one comes to community is to discover the mystery of forgiveness. Regardless of the community, it is a fine reference to the Church, the redeeming…
Continue Reading“… help me, who am alone and have no one but you, O Lord.” Prayer of petition rests on a consoling truth: God knows us. This is our belief in God and our understanding of who God is. Jesus tells us today: “Ask and it will be given to you.” If God knows us…
Continue Reading“At the judgment, the citizens of Nineveh will rise along with the present generation, and they will condemn it. For at the preaching of Jonah they reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here.” We “have a greater than Jonah here.” The greater than Jonah is the Incarnate Word, Jesus, who is among…
Continue ReadingThere is a contrast between the babbling that Jesus tells us to avoid in our prayer and the effective word which, Isaiah assures us, is God’s deed. God is the initiator of our lives; our work is to trust in the deed of God: “It shall not return to me void, but shall do…
Continue ReadingHoliness and Charity The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. When God tells his people to be holy, He is inviting them into the greatest intimacy. He asking us to be like He…
Continue Reading “Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.” Temptation is like a probe. One meaning of a probe is to explore the unknown. In our story from Genesis today, Adam and Eve want to probe the unknown boundaries of good and evil. It is not just…
Continue ReadingOn Ash Wednesday, at the distribution of ashes, we hear “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Today we hear the call of Levi, the tax collector. He heard Jesus’ invitation: follow me. The gospel tells us, “leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.” This makes it all so very simple. He stood…
Continue ReadingToday we hear more about fasting. On Ash Wednesday, the gospel cautioned us about the way we fast. Fasting is not to be noticed by others but by God. Fasting is not an external, observable practice, performed for others to see, but rather a discipline that helps to direct us towards God. Today in…
Continue ReadingIn the Holy Rule, St. Benedict says this about Lent. “For the monk, his entire life should be one continuous Lent.” At first, hearing that is not a pleasant thought, at least for me. St. Benedict goes further: “Since not all have the strength for this, let the brothers increase their austerity beyond the…
Continue Reading Today we begin the season of Lent, the Paschal Season of the Church year. For the next 40 days, we prepare once again for our annual celebration of the feasts of our Redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter. As we begin the season of Lent, we really have…
Continue ReadingSirach tells us when we come to serve the Lord, prepare ourselves for trials and testing. And gold is tested in the fire and those found acceptable in the furnace of humiliation. The words of Sirach fit well with Jesus’ journey with his disciples as we hear it in the Gospel. Jesus was setting…
Continue ReadingThe words of Psalm 50 set the stage for today’s gospel miracle. “Call on me in the day of distress. I will free you and you shall honor me.” The details are clear. This poor father was desperate for a cure, something to help his poor son. So, he brings him at last to…
Continue Reading“Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy. At the end of today’s gospel passage, Jesus clearly states that in the end, he was calling his followers to “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” These are two tall orders.…
Continue ReadingAt the Steubenville youth conference, high school students gather together to reignite their faith. Most high school students who attend experience what many people call a “Jesus High,” when they are on fire with their faith and filled with the love of Jesus. On the last day of the conference, one of the speakers…
Continue ReadingToday’s first reading and psalm put a special focus on the poor. In his letter, James remarks, “Show no partiality” between the rich and the poor. He follows this statement with a rebuke for those who judge or deal harshly with the poor. The point he is clearly trying to convey is that the…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel, Jesus begins to give the apostles a glimpse of the Father’s will for him. He explains that he must suffer greatly, be killed, and rise after three days. This must have been very difficult for the apostles to hear. We see this when Peter responds by taking Jesus aside and rebuking…
Continue Reading“As the crow flies” is an expression that denotes the shortest and most efficient path between two points. It is a route without wrong turns, dead ends, or detours. No traffic jams, checkpoints, or road rage. It is a direct path to one’s destination. In today’s first reading, Noah has spent forty days on…
Continue ReadingIn our Gospel today, Jesus warns the disciples against false teachings using an analogy about leaven. The disciples are confused by his words, thinking that He is talking about food, which leads Jesus to ask, “Do you still not understand?” We are often told that the disciples were confused or didn’t understand where Jesus…
Continue ReadingIn our first reading, we hear the story of Cain and Abel and the betrayal of brothers due to resentment. In the Gospel, we hear the Pharisees wanting a sign from Jesus, but he tells them “no sign will be given to this generation.” There are many things to say about these passages, but…
Continue ReadingThere are many out there who believe the Catholic Church to be an institution for the mere purpose of laying down many, many rules. “Do this with your life, and do not do that.” Today’s readings point to a different reality, however. The first reading points out that “if you choose, you can keep…
Continue ReadingWitness by Ariel Burger Seldom do you find a book that truly gives credence to its title, and yet Witness does. Ariel Burger is a Jewish Rabbi who mentored under Elie Wiesel, the writer, teacher, human rights activist, and Holocaust survivor. The author describes how he witnessed under the quiet and unassuming Wiesel whose…
Continue ReadingLeft to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza Immaculee Ilibagiza was very young when the Rwandan Genocide broke out. She witnessed some of the worst evil that one could imagine. She survived because a local pastor took her and eight other women into hiding. She had to hide in a tight space for three months. She…
Continue ReadingLife of Pi by Yann Martel Very seldom is it that a book pulls a reader in and challenges their perception. This one does. Life of Pi is a novel written with deep philosophy. Pi is the main character. His family owns and operates a zoo in India. Pi grows up with a love…
Continue ReadingA Refutation of Moral Relativism by Peter Kreef We live in a time where objective truth is not recognized, and time-honored values are usurped by individual autonomy. In other words, we live in a time where too many people want to be their own gods without any rules or responsibilities. This book here was…
Continue ReadingThe Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Ratzinger This is one book of spirituality I cannot hesitate to share. Joseph Ratzinger is known most famously as Pope Benedict XVI. He came to prominence as a young theologian at the Second Vatican Council. He went on to serve as an acclaimed theology professor, and then…
Continue ReadingThe Last Lecture by Randy Pausch Few books have the power to make sense of life, and yet this book does exactly that. Dr. Randy Pausch was a young, gifted professor who taught at Carnegie Mellon University. He made a name for himself working in computer programming and research. He had quite a talent…
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