Lenten Resources
“… new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.” The newness which the Gospel of Christ Jesus brings us is a continually new invitation to allow ourselves to be changed. This is conversion, the metanoia. The Holy Spirit calls us to it. It is a call into new levels of intimacy with the one who…
“The Lord said to me: you are my servant, Israel, through whom I show my glory.” The revelation made to ancient Israel and fulfilled in Jesus, is not about destiny but glory! God’s People were taught that we are not guided by empty dreams, or the stars or other impersonal forces. But each of…
We often find ourselves asking why. Sometimes the question is innocent and leads us to discover: Why do the seasons change? At other times, the question comes from pain: Why do bad things happen to me? And sometimes the question is a statement of judgment: Why would you do something like that? The Scribes…
Before the Israelite people had kings, they were led by judges, individuals that the Lord empowered for leadership. They came from different tribes and backgrounds. For instance, Samson’s parents were childless in their old age until the Lord answered their prayers, Jephthah was rejected by his own family as illegitimate, and Samuel was consecrated…
Leprosy was not only a painful illness in the ancient world but also a communal affliction because its victims were excluded from normal society. It was so dangerous and so contagious that those who had it were forced to keep their distance from others in case they should infect someone by accident. It is…
Our lives are fragile. We have bodies that can be harmed, that grow old, and that will eventually fail. All the same, our bodies are gifts. We experience the many wonderful things God has made in this world through our bodies, and even the pains that undergo reveal to us the greater truths of…
Jesus wastes no time once he begins his public ministry. The time has come for him to reveal himself to the people in word and deed, which is made evident when he preaches with authority and drives out demons. The great scholars of the time would always refer to the teachings of their predecessors,…
Now that the Christmas season has concluded, we return to the “ordinary” life of Jesus, the public ministry he performed as an adult before his sacrifice on the cross. In the Gospel today, Jesus calls his first disciples to come and follow him. It is an invitation to know him more deeply and, eventually,…
At Jesus’ baptism, we hear the Father announcing his Sonship. Jesus is loved by the Father because the Father is love. Jesus is even the expression of this love because he has come among us and offered himself for us even though we are unworthy of him. His Incarnation reveals to us the lengths…
Throughout this Epiphany week we have observed the Christmas star casting its light upon the newborn King of Israel, the long-awaited Messiah and Lord. The gospel selections of the past six days have shown us a variety of reactions as Jesus’ identity was revealed: to three Magi from the Orient; to a threatened King…
Leprosy was a dreaded disease in the time of Christ. There was no known cure for this ailment. Besides the pain and disfigurement it caused, the individual also suffered the shame of isolation from the community. Levitical law required lepers to separate themselves from society. In the gospel account from Saint Luke, we hear…
As this week following Epiphany unfolds, we see yet another display of Jesus as the Messiah in the account of his visit to the synagogue in his home village of Nazareth. As he entered the assembly, Jesus was handed a scroll and proclaimed the prophecy of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon…
We all face situations in our lives that leave us feeling storm-tossed and frightened. The gospel passage heard at Mass today, following immediately after the miracle of the loaves and fishes, is a further manifestation of Jesus as the promised Messiah, the one who has power over all things. St. Mark recounts the well-known…
“When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mk 6:34). These opening words of today’s gospel, and the description of the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes, continue the revelation of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Saint Mark’s words…
In today’s gospel, St. Matthew calls our attention to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah in Jesus’ ministry to the Gentiles of Capernaum: “…the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen” (Is 9:1; Mt 4:16). In the readings…
Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you (Is 60:1). Today, we celebrate the radiant feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of the Lord’s glory to all nations. Although God singled out the tiny nation of Israel as his chosen people, his generous heart, overflowing with mercy, lavishly pours out…
The late Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, confounded many with his philosophical distinction between different kinds of national intelligence issues. There were, he said, known knowns – those things we understand exist – and there are also unknown unknowns – things we are neither aware of nor understand. There are also unknown knowns. This…
In the movie 500 Days of Summer, a woman asks the sad sack protagonist why he became a greeting card writer when he had trained as an architect. He sardonically replied, “I figured, why make something temporary like a building, when I can make something like a greeting card that lasts forever.” The cutting…
When I was a young monk, the abbot wanted me to take voice lessons to improve my singing. Probably because he wanted more investment on my part, so he did not order me, only suggested it. It was obvious, though, that he wanted me to do this. I joked that my parents would be…
It’s the end of the calendar year. John’s First Letter says, “Children, it is the last hour.” At the same time, the opening verses of our gospel states: “In the beginning was the Word.” Today, we end at the beginning. A recent survey of Americans discovered that there are fewer people who identify as…
The American Catholic author, Flannery O’Connor, wrote short stories with underlying theological symbolism. However, many who read them do not find anything resembling holiness and are even scandalized. Her novels are populated by very flawed characters who meet tragic endings. She described her stories as grace being offered and frequently rejected. In fairness, we…
One of the hardest things to overcome as we mature spiritually is this: self-deception. We rationalize our sin or the gravity of it. “Nine out of ten commandments ain’t bad…” “Well, I’m not as bad as that person over there…” “I know this is a bad habit, but I will stop doing it… tomorrow…”…
“In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son” (Heb. 1:1-2). This reveals a central truth of Christianity: God is Trinity. Our God is a communion of divine Persons. This tri-personal God revealed by Jesus is…
John begins his letter with striking simplicity. He speaks of what he has heard, seen, touched, and witnessed. He does not offer theories or abstractions. He offers experience. And he offers it so that you may have communion with God, the same communion that shaped his entire life. His words invite you to look…
The day after Christmas places us before the witness of Stephen and his story might feel jarring. Yesterday celebrated the gentleness of Christ’s birth, yet today shows us the cost of following him. Stephen’s courage was not loud or defiant. It was the kind that grows from an interior life rooted so deeply in…
In this time of wintry weather and long dark nights, we Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus who is God’s light, joy, and love. Isaiah spoke in the first reading: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” With the birth of Jesus, God entered our world which we made dark,…
David wants to build something solid for God, something impressive and worthy—a beautiful temple. Yet God redirects him. Instead of receiving a grand project, David receives a promise—a future he cannot see, a legacy that will unfold slowly and quietly through generations. This moment speaks directly to the tensions in your own life. You…
Malachi speaks of a messenger who prepares the way, someone who will refine, purify, and turn hearts back toward one another. This is not abstract prophecy. It reaches into the real, complicated terrain of your own life. The refining Malachi describes often happens through situations that unsettle you, interrupt your expectations, or expose what…
Hannah enters the temple carrying the child she once feared she would never hold. There is no spectacle, no dramatic gesture. She simply offers Samuel to the Lord with the quiet strength of someone who has prayed, waited, and trusted when nothing seemed to change. Her gesture invites us to look honestly at our…
As we begin the final days of Advent, we will notice a thread throughout the coming week. Again and again, the readings reveal a God who chooses to work through hiddenness and humility. This is not only a feature of Christmas, but it is also the pattern of God’s action from the beginning. Over…
“Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to thy will!” Our Lady’s fiat (yes) to the Lord! Very fitting that the Annunciation account comes on a Marian Saturday during Advent. St. Maximilian Kolbe once said, “This time of ours is the era of the Immaculata, or,…
“Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.’” You would think Zechariah would have believed when he saw the Archangel Gabriel with his own eyes! But no. Still doubting God’s plan for him and his dear wife Elizabeth, he…
Today is my mother’s birthday! I will not say how old she is, but today in our immediate family, we celebrate the gift of life! She was adopted, and on the day my grandparents were bringing her home from old St. Anthony’s orphanage in Kansas City, my grandmother said to one of the sisters…
Today begins, as I like to call it, the Holy Week of Advent with the “O Antiphons.” Our first Antiphon is: “O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love; come to teach us the path of knowledge!” In our gospel today, we hear the genealogy of Jesus. I love…
Jesus said to the Chief Priests and the Elders of the people… A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ The son said in reply, ‘I will not.’ But afterwards, he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other…
In today’s gospel, Jesus tells the Chief Priests and the Elders that he would let them know by the authority. He does all of his merciful love so that they would need to answer him, “where was John’s baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?” Jesus shows Divine Mercy to these…
Today the Church celebrates Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. We rejoice because we are at the midway point of Advent not because we get presents soon, but that we get to commemorate the Lord’s nativity! Today would have also been the feast day of the great St. John of the Cross, the spiritual director of St.…
In today’s gospel passage, the disciples are beginning to realize who Jesus is, that he is the Messiah. And so they ask him about Elijah, who was supposed to come first. Jesus assures them that Elijah did come first, but that “they” did not recognize him and did with him whatever they pleased. Once…
I was a priest of the Archdiocese of Kingston in Jamaica for nearly eight years of my 10 years in Jamaica. Every year during the week after Pentecost, all of us who were serving as diocesan clergy in the archdiocese would go on our annual retreat at a retreat house in Mandeville, Jamaica. On…
Right in the middle of today’s gospel passage is one of the most puzzling statements that Jesus ever makes. Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent are taking it by force.” It is possible that Jesus is referring to the opposition that both…