Lenten Resources

  Today we celebrate the feast of St. James. Not much is known about him, but let’s take a look at our Alleluia scripture reading. It says, “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.” God chose St. James to go and bear fruit. This relates…

  In today’s first reading from Jeremiah, we hear “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. ‘Ah, Lord GOD!’ I said, ‘I know not how to speak; I am too young.’ But the LORD answered me, Say…

  In today’s gospel we hear, “While Jesus was speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers appeared outside, wishing to speak with him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak with you.” But he said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my…

  Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, who I would call the first missionary to announce the resurrection! As it says in the gospel today, “Jesus said to her ‘go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary…

  In today’s gospel, the Pharisees begin to plot how they can have Jesus put to death. Jesus is aware of this and his response is to withdraw into a deserted place. Further, as the people continue to come to him for healing, he tells them not to tell where he is or that he…

  In today’s gospel passage, Matthew 12: 1-8, Jesus and his disciples are walking through a field of grain on the Sabbath, and the disciples start picking grain and eating it because they are hungry. The Pharisees see this and condemn this action as a violation of the Sabbath. Jesus justifies this action ultimately by…

  In today’s gospel we have the beautiful invitation from the Lord: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” This invitation is a balm for the soul of anyone who has felt the burden of life and desired to rest in the Lord. Jesus goes on…

  Today’s gospel ends with a very puzzling sentence: “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” If we break down what this sentence is saying, it suggests that nobody really knows Jesus the Son except…

  The last sentence of the second reading from the prophet Isaiah reads: “Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!” This reminds me of what is said in chapter 1, verse 6 of the Epistle of James: “…for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven…

  We are used to Jesus being gentle and loving, a man of peace who brings peace wherever he goes. Thus, the Jesus who appears in the first part of today’s gospel is very jarring. Here Jesus says he has come not to bring peace but to bring the sword. He has come, he says,…

  The second reading for today’s Mass is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, Chapter 1, verses 3 to 14. Verse 4 of this passage is one of the most powerful verses in all of scripture. It is one that I come back to over and over in my preaching. The reason I do…

Everything Will Be Revealed Jesus says, “Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.” (Matthew 10:26b) This is a profound statement. What does Jesus mean by it? Is it a call to be transparent and authentic? Even though no one on earth may know [fill in the blank],…

  Shrewd Silence and Simple Speech …A moment of silence… Can you hear it? Perhaps not right now, as you read these words of mine. But perhaps today, you will have a moment of silence, a moment to yourself, in which you find yourself and your God. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus advises his Apostles…

Listen, my Child It is a special day here, not only because it is our founder’s commemoration day. But also, because we welcome a new lifelong member into our monastic community, Br. Mark Nelson, OSB. He is professing solemn and perpetual monastic vows—a promise before God and His saints to live out the rest of…

The Laborers are Few It’s summertime here in the Midwest. That means vacation, a slower pace, enjoyment and leisure for those with means. Yet, there is much work to be done for the sake of the Kingdom. As Jesus says in the Gospel today, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37b).…

  A Sacramental Touch “If only I can touch his cloak…” said the longsuffering woman in today’s Gospel reading according to Matthew (9:21). She but touched the tassel on his cloak, yet Jesus noticed. Surely, Jesus’ tassel did not have nerve endings connected to his brain. Rather, it was the woman’s faith that sent a…

  What’s in a Name? I have heard this phrase before, but where? A quick online search tells me it appears in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Lamenting that her family has a nasty feud with Romeo’s family, Juliet says: What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name…

  St. John Chrysostom tells us that the old cloak or the old wineskins that Jesus uses as an image represent his disciples, who have not yet been renewed with the Spirit and therefore are not ready receive the full expectation of the Gospel. The disciples had made sacrifices in order to follow Jesus, but…

  Jewish tax collectors were seen as traitors along with being unjust. Not only did many of them cheat the people they collected from, they were serving a foreign power that occupied the land promised to God’s people. They sinned against their kin and against the covenant with the Lord. Nevertheless, Jesus saw the good…

  The ability to receive criticism is an invaluable skill, one that is in short supply. Everyone has their flaws, and we owe our communities and especially ourselves the effort to improve our shortcomings. This is not a demand for perfection or a pronouncement of shame but an acceptance that we are imperfect and that…

  The poor Apostle Thomas will always be known as the one who doubted the Resurrection. Rarely do people recall his declaration that they would follow Jesus to his death when he returned to Jerusalem (John 11:16). It may be fitting to forget that statement, though, since Thomas did not remain at Jesus’ side through…

  The words of the prophet Amos are much like Jesus’ statement, “To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matt 13:12). The Lord proclaims through his prophet that much has been expected of the Israelites because…

  Determination is a valuable trait when it serves the proper ends. Great accomplishments usually come with road blocks and pitfalls along the way. It would be easy to give up and pursue something less daunting, but determination can help us overcome the obstacles that lie in our path. Tony Melendez was born with no…

  Patience is a challenge. Imagine the terror and frustration of Jairus, the synagogue official who desperately pleaded with Jesus to come heal his daughter who was on the brink of death, when Jesus stops along the way to question a crowd and speak to someone. The crowd itself was enough to slow Jesus down,…

  Could it be true that opposites attract, even in the spiritual life? This may be an interesting question as we examine the personal stories of Sts. Peter and Paul. The Church celebrates this solemnity today highlighting some of their most important teaching which reveal their particular approach to apostolic commitment. The second reading presents…

  Our memorial of the first century Bishop and Martyr Irenaeus may seem very distant and disconnected from our present experience. “After all,” we might say, “what can someone who lived in the earliest centuries of the Church have to tell us today?” Perhaps the question with reference to the liturgy of the Eucharist is…

  The awareness of natural disasters is no longer limited by slow and spotty communication. Due to sophisticated technology, such as cell phones, drones, and satellites, the suffering and destruction of natural disasters is now up close and personal. Whether local or far away the destruction of human life can no longer be ignored. Through…

  We believe that the bible is the sacred inspired Word of God. We also believe that God’s Word comes to us through human beings inspired to use their best writing styles and imagination to instruct and motivate the readers. Sometimes finding the message requires a certain amount of digging, patience, and prayer. I’m reminded…

  The first readings from the Second Book of Kings for the next four days during this week’s liturgy show the people of Israel to be under great distress. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, is intimidating Jerusalem and ruthlessly describing their impending doom. In the darkest of times the faith of Israel is being tested. In…

  In military combat when a column of soldiers is moving forward, there is usually someone assigned to “take the point.” This person is the first to lead the group into danger and is responsible for the safety of those who follow. In many ways, the figure of St. John the Baptist might fit this…

  Whenever we cross the mighty Mississippi River on our travels between Benet Lake and Conception Abbey, I think of the challenge those early explorers must have faced to cross rivers and streams of any size. Today we simply cross with ease because of bridges and modern transportation. However, the decision to “cross over to…

  The first reading from 2 Chronicles 24:17-25 recounts the disastrous reign of King Joash after the death of his mentor and protector, Jehoiada. His return to the worship of pagan idols and his murder of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest brought ruin upon Judah and Jerusalem. The responsorial psalm, however, reminds us of…

  In the first reading of today’s liturgy from the 2nd Book of Kings (11:1-4, 9-18, 17-18), we find the story of Joash, the child who was destined to be king, and how he was hidden away in the temple of the Lord for six years to protect him from the wicked Athaliah. Jehoiada the…

  Our first reading today from the Book of Sirach is a follow-up to the passages we have been hearing this week from the Second Book of Kings. It pays tribute to the life and accomplishments of the prophet Elijah and of his successor, Elisha. “Nothing was beyond his power; beneath him flesh was brought…

  Today we hear the famous account of Elijah handing over his role as prophet to his disciple, Elisha. The young man is frightened by the thought of his master’s departure. As a flaming chariot suddenly appears and transports Elijah up to heaven, Elisha is left alone and he cries out in terror: “My father,…

  Today we continue the story of vineyard of Naboth. In the first reading, we hear of the aftermath of Ahab’s actions in the wrongful murder of Naboth and seizure of his vineyard. The prophet Elijah confronts him directly for his greed. “The Lord says: After murdering, do you also take possession?” (1 Kgs: 21:19).…

  The story of the vineyard of Naboth depicts the epitome of injustice. Ahab covets Naboth’s vineyard and his wife Jezebel shuns all moral boundaries in order to obtain it by plotting Naboth’s death. (His death is a foreshadowing of Christ who was also falsely accused and “led out of the city” to be crucified.)…

  God brings forth great things from small beginnings. The opening reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel relates God’s wondrous plan of redemption for the people of Israel who are in exile in Babylon. Using the metaphor of the cedar tree, the prophet gives hope to the exiles by describing how a tender…