Lenten Resources

  Today’s Gospel tells us the story of the poor widow who could only offer two small coins into the treasury, whereas the wealthy people were able to offer much more. However, Jesus says that the poor widow put in more than all of the rest because she, from her poverty, offered her whole livelihood.…

  In the Gospel today, we hear “Anyone who tries to preserve his life will lose it; and anyone who loses it will keep it safe.” This is an example and a reminder of how we need to depend on Christ. When we depend on ourselves and try to become independent, we lose sight of…

  The gospel reading today provides an excellent look into the hope of a heavenly future. In this narrative, we see Jesus accosted by the Sadducees, who are merely seeking proof that there is no resurrection through the lens of marriage. However, Christ uses this same lens of marriage to reveal the even greater reality…

  In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us of the remarkable gravity of the sin of scandal when he says: “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.” When we scandalize…

  The readings today may be difficult to understand. Yet, by looking closely, a beautiful message runs throughout them. In the first reading, we see a figure on the throne: God the Father. He holds a scroll with seven seals. Seven is the number of perfection, so only a perfect being can open the scroll.…

  I tell you, everyone who has, more will be given, but the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Lk 19:26 We are all called to lives of holiness and share one common vocation—the universal call to holiness to be saints. All the saints stand before the Face of…

  The first reading from Revelation today is a stark reminder of what we might expect at the end of times. The eschatological theme implores us to live our lives in a worthy manner, for we “will never know at what hour I will come upon you.” An unfortunate reality of our society today is…

  “What do you want me to do for you?” This is the question Jesus asks the blind man in today’s Gospel. The passage today tells us the story of the blind man outside of the walls of Jericho who, although he is silenced by the crowd, calls out to Jesus over and over for…

  Famous Catholic biblical scholar Raymond Brown once warned that we should not dismiss Christian apocalyptics too easily. Those who believe they can predict the Second Coming of Christ might not be correct. Still, we do believe that the Lord will return, that this world will come to an end and that the living and…

  “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” What are we to think about the decline of faith in our times? Among the young, among our families, our relatives, friends, and the population in general? Is it really a loss of faith or is it misplaced faith? Human beings require…

  “Come, you who are blessed by my Father” This saying of Jesus is wonderfully exemplified in the life of St. Martin of Tours. Forced to serve in the army at 15, he became a Christian catechumen and was baptized at 18. He is famous for having cut his cloak in half for a beggar,…

  “The coming of the Kingdom cannot be observed…” This reply of Jesus to the Pharisees’ question about when the Kingdom of God is coming reminds us of the very human desire we have to know what’s going to happen. In the case of the Pharisees the question occurs against the background of the Roman…

  “But he was speaking about the temple of his Body.” Today’s celebration commemorates the dedication of the cathedral of the pope, St. John Lateran. In her preface, the Church prays: “For in your benevolence you are pleased to dwell in this house of prayer in order to perfect us as the temple of the…

  “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” God is among us, in Jesus his son, as a servant. Furthermore, we can be certain that Jesus desires to be the servant of our people, our nation. He came to save us all. He has invited you and me to…

  “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” Fraternal correction is perhaps one of the most neglected practices of the Christian life. Pope Benedict XVI referred to it as “fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation.” He notes that today “we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and…

  The Seed of Eternity The Sadducees in our Gospel today represent many people today who live as if this life were all there was. But like today, there was another part of the Jewish people who did not accept this unbelief. This belief has been put beautifully by the Jewish rabbi, Abraham Joshua Heschel:…

  The first reading from yesterday and the gospel reading today go hand in hand. “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Do you serve the Lord to the best of your…

  Some of my family members thought I was crazy for joining a monastery, and that I would be wasting my life away. But from my point of view, I can see the exact opposite. In our first reading today, we hear, “For many, as I have often told you and now tell you even…

  Jesus begins the parable of the lost sheep with a question. He asks who among us would not leave 99 sheep alone in the desert in order to go and find that one lost sheep. I have considered this question carefully, and my answer is, “I would not.” I say this because I know…

  Today we celebrate the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. This is the remembrance of all of the Faithful Departed who have died in God’s Friendship, but are still undergoing the purification of Purgatory. Now, Catholic teaching on Purgatory is one of the harder teachings for some people to accept, but that is often because…

  If you google “Catholic Saint of the Day,” a number of good sites come up. But one of my favorites is Catholic.org. I like this site for the saint of the day because as I sit down today (October 23) to write this reflection, the first saint listed is St. John of Capistrano. But…

  Most of us love a good party. Whatever the occasion—a birthday, a wedding, an “its Wednesday” celebration—we enjoy inviting family and friends over for good food and fun times. And we enjoy being invited by family and friends to the same. So when in today’s gospel, Jesus seems to say we should not be…

  In my parish in Kingston, Jamaica, each year on Good Friday, we would do the Stations of the Cross through the streets of the Church’s neighborhood. We would have the drum corps lead us from station to station, and at each station, we would stop and sing, and say the prayers for the station.…

  We began this week on Sunday with Jesus telling us the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee proudly bragged about what a good person he was. The tax collector beat his breast and said, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us another parable.…

  Today we celebrate the Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles. Jesus chose these two individuals from among the larger group of disciples. They had a special vocation. Today we say that they were not only apostles. They also stood at the beginning of the Church’s history. In them, we recognize the beginnings of…

  Every spring, as I begin working in the garden next to the small pond we call “Maria Laach,” I notice the arrival of two Canadian geese. Although I can’t be sure, I think it is the same pair, male and female, that would grace us every year with their presence. There is a sliver…

  Today’s Gospel starts out somewhat problematically. An unidentified person asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Jesus doesn’t give a direct answer to this. But by what he says, one could surmise that he affirms that only a few people will be saved. “Many will attempt to enter but will not…

  In the gospels, we have a record of the method Jesus used in teaching the people. He used very ordinary examples: light, salt, grains of wheat, lost sheep. Today’s Gospel is a good example of this. Questions abound. What is the Kingdom of God like? When will the world end? What kind of a…

  All of the Gospel readings this week come from the pen of St. Luke. Most of them come from the 13th chapter of this Gospel. Sunday’s Gospel concluded with the words: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” This Saturday’s Gospel, about guests at a wedding…

  When I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror, what do I see? According to today’s Gospel, there are two possibilities. Either I can see a Pharisee or I can see a tax collector (someone known in Jesus’ time as a notorious sinner). If I see a Pharisee, I…

  This day and age carries a strong secular current. Many aspects of society are becoming more secular and more indifferent to religion, if not outright hostile towards it. Society is losing a sense of the sacred and the holy. And that is the great tragedy. Worship and holiness are the things that people need…

  When we pray the Psalms, we learn, and learn again and again, that we are on a journey. We are not lone individuals randomly roaming the Earth. We are God’s people. We are the Church, the spotless Bride of Christ, although this beautiful Church will endure persecution on Earth. We are a people with…

  This week’s meditations are focusing on the Psalms and responsorials. Let us explore today the mystery of the Psalms. The Psalms are the heartbeat of the Bible. They are not only the prayer of ancient Israel; they are the songs of Israel and the songs of the Church. The writing of the Psalmist is…

  You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. Is. 12 How can we really describe martyrdom? We can witness to Christ by choosing to live in holiness every day. True martyrdom is something that all people would be afraid of. Giving up one’s life for the gospel is the highest sacrifice that…

  Your friends make known, o Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Ps. 145 How did the first apostles and evangelists spread the gospel? How did they do so many things to lay the foundation of the Church? The truth is very simple yet compelling. They had first become Jesus’ friends. They came to…

  The Lord made us, we belong to him. Ps. 100 I am frequently drawn to the writing and example of St. Ignatius of Antioch. He is, indeed, one of the most profound witnesses of the Early Church. His writing holds within it a healthy realism that shows the full cost and reward of discipleship.…

  Our help is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth. Ps. 121 How often we are brought back to a familiar truth in a way that astounds us and amazes us! We are called to persevere in prayer. I love the story of an athlete who had worked for years…

  We have one of Jesus’s more confusing statements in today’s gospel: “the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven” What does this mean? There have been two consistent explanations, and they are both valuable to reflect on. The first explanation might be that to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is…

  This week it is all about freedom. Today Jesus warns us about the freedom of God’s will and knowledge: “there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed!” Jesus tells us that our lives are not entirely our own; his will and desire also have freedom it must enjoy. Even our attempts to hide,…

  We continue reflecting on the Christian freedom won for us in Christ. In our gospel today, Jesus continues the “woes” to those in authority and those with influence. What Jesus is highlighting is a critical component to genuine freedom in Jesus; others have it as well. Liberty, devoid of Christian freedom, begins to encroach…