Daily Reflections

  It was 17 years ago today that I made my first profession of monastic vows. The picture below is from my solemn profession; I drew it as a mosaic at Marytown, the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe. My friend Dr. Claude Foster who wrote an extensive book on St. Maximilian Kolbe called, “Mary’s…

  “Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?’” “I have a wife and children! What will…

  Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” As the day approaches when Fr. Maximilian will receive his red crown of martyrdom, as he has worn…

  Today I can see prisoner number 16670 in a starvation bunker, his fellow inmates receiving the Divine Mercy of the Lord by being “released” by death, but not before prisoner 16670 heard their confession. It is said that St. Maximilian Kolbe’s jail cell was turned into a chapel. S.S. guards, after shutting the door…

  Today is not only the feast of St. Clare of Assisi, but it is also the feast of St. Philomena! In our Alleluia verse today, we hear, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” Life is hard, and both Sts. Clare and Philomena knew…

  Today is a great feast day! The feast of St. Lawrence, who died for the faith, being burned alive on a grill. As my mom would say, “St. Lawrence is the patron saint of football because he died on the gridiron.” Jesus said in the gospel today: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless…

  In our readings today, one word comes to mind: “simplicity.” In the first reading, we have all these big, powerful, and God-fearing elements while Elijah was waiting for the Lord to pass by. You would think our almighty Lord would do something powerful to say, “I AM here!” But no, it was just a…

  St. Dominic, the founder of the Order of Preachers, began his itinerant evangelizing in response to a threat to the Catholic Church. This came through the Albigensians who set up a rival church. They were Gnostics, a term that comes from the Greek word for “knowledge.” Gnosticism says there is a secret wisdom that…

  Does God care? This is a perennial question by most that are open to belief in God. And for atheists, the existence of evil – despite the very fact that we Christians proclaim a good God who made the world good – is reason enough to believe there is no God.       …

  Since Pope St. John Paul II composed and instituted the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary (Virginis Mariae 2002), these particular Christ events are contemplated on Thursdays. The Fourth Luminous Mystery is the Transfiguration of the Lord. It is therefore appropriate that we consider Mary and her Son’s glorification in the flesh at Mount Tabor…

  When the Israelites set out on the Exodus from slavery in Egypt, they left behind more than oppression. The land of enslavement did not just have meat, it had overflowing fleshpots (cf. Ex. 16:3); it had tasty vegetables (Numbers 11:5). The hardscrabble nomadic life in the Sinai desert was another story. So even when…

  Being offended is not a moral virtue. Yes, being sensitive and empathetic to the plight of God’s little ones who suffer injustice and marginalization is right, but only if it rouses us to work for concrete solutions to help them. If we are merely offended and pay lip service to justice and conversion, then…

  The prophets Hannaniah and Jeremiah represent two types: the prophet of hope and the prophet of doom. The content of Jeremiah’s book is bad news. This is not by choice; in fact, he laments that he would rather not speak these words but feels compelled by God (cf. Jer. 20:7-9). The Lord chose Jeremiah…

  If you live in a family or an institutional setting (like a monastery), there is one thing you don’t want served: leftovers. However, if you live on your own and you cook what you like, leftovers are another thing entirely: an abundance of ever-remixable versions of your favorite food. When I was a pastor,…

    Like a good prophet, Jeremiah speaks the message the Lord has told him to speak. He is telling the leaders and general populace they are to amend their ways. They are to give up their old ways and seek to follow the way of goodness lest they suffer persecution and the wrath of God. As usually happens when someone tells us or anyone that…

    The stories of the saints are filled with fascinating details and interesting anecdotes. They sometimes include how the individual first came to faith, turning away from an old way of life and now following a new way, a new path that opened vast new horizons to them. Sometimes there were stories of people who were already faith-filled and now experienced…

    Somewhere in the early years of my monastic life, I discovered the potter’s wheel. I had always admired the wonders of the instrument and how such beautiful creations could come from it. I was also aware of the role pottery had in the history of cultures and the evolution of humankind. It was not just…

  We Benedictines add Lazarus to the names of his sisters Mary and Martha and recognize them all as Hosts of the Lord. This seems to be a place where Jesus could rest and be at ease. This is the household that offered hospitality to the Lord as he made his way, bringing his message and healing…

  I confess, I wonder what Jesus meant when he said that we all must become like children if we want to enter the kingdom of God. I think that some of it may be just the wonder in the child’s eye and heart. In the exploration of the wonders in creation, the child is awestruck by the discovery…

  I can’t remember when I first heard this quotation from Scripture. I think it is more precise to say that I don’t recall when I realized the real meaning this text had for me. “… all things work for good for those who love God…” I knew that I loved God; there was no doubt about that in my…

  Today we celebrate the Feast of St. James the Great, Apostle of Jesus and martyr. In the Gospel, we have the story of the mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, approaching Jesus with a request. She asked that Jesus “command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right…

  In today’s Gospel, we have the parable of the sower. The sower, Jesus, sows the seed of the word of the Kingdom, and it falls on four different places. It is important to note that all receive the seed, but only one has the right conditions to bear fruit. Jesus is generous in his…

  “Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; they have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water.” This ending verse in our first reading from the prophet Jeremiah speaks to us of the sin of the people of Israel, and it is a sin that…

  On today’s feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, we have a great example of love for Christ that is good for us to follow. Mary Magdalene’s soul was burning with love for Christ, which kept her at Jesus’ side all the way to the foot of the Cross, even when many of his other disciples…

  “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” In today’s Gospel, Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and brothers appeared, wishing to speak to him. But he does not leave the crowd or stop teaching to visit with them. He rather poses the above question and then answers it by pointing…

  “O my people, what have I done to you, or how have I wearied you? Answer me!” This intense pleading from the LORD, found in the first reading from Micah, is gut-wrenching. This text is used on Good Friday of Holy Week as we venerate the cross with a kiss. In the monastery, these…

  In today’s Gospel, we have three parables proposed to the crowds by Jesus. The first is the parable of the weeds in the field, the second is the parable of the mustard seed, and the third is the parable of the yeast. Jesus explains to his disciples the parable of the weeds in the…

  There is a common expression still used today which can be traced to ancient Roman times. The phrase is simply this: “Misery loves company!” Without venturing into the “why” of the statement, perhaps it’s helpful to focus on the “how” of its function. Today’s Scripture readings give us a context in which to examine…

  Surely one reason for reading and reverencing the Scriptures is the attraction to the hint of strong human emotions that sizzle just below the surface. Today we hear the fear in the words of the dying King Hezekiah as he bargains with God. We hear relief behind the words of the Prophet Isaias as…

  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” Surely these welcoming words of Jesus in the Gospel can rank among the most comforting and sustaining words we’ll hear today. The fast pace of our social activities and our overloaded “to do” list can eventually lead to…

  If today’s liturgical readings had a teaching method, we might say the writers used the method of “teaching by contrast.” The central foundational covenant of God with the Jewish people was clearly this: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.” Through the generations, God was always consistently faithful, but in…

  Have you ever been fascinated by the nature and function of a simple mirror? Archaeology finds evidence of mirrors going back over eight thousand years, and today mirrors range from the smallest tools to the largest of telescopes.  Mirrors can suggest a way to think about how we interact with God’s love and His…

  Sometimes the “Golden oldies” can still ring true and make you smile! I’m talking about an old TV Coca-Cola commercial of 1969 that had everyone humming and singing “It’s the real thing!” The point behind the smiling young faces as they raised their bottle of Coke was that this was the original, the true,…

  There is nothing quite like the earthy smell of freshly tilled soil in preparation for seeding or transplanting. Perhaps the next best experience of being up close and personal with the soil is walking through the garden barefoot. His garden images suggest that the Prophet Isaias was well acquainted with gardening when he described…

  Many see monastic life as debilitating. We give up private property and the accumulation of wealth. We live a celibate life. We regularly abstain from speech and entertainment. We generally remain at the monastery. We make a vow of obedience to our superiors. Many aspects of our life can be seen as losing something—money,…

  Fear not. The world is a frightening place, but fear not. On a daily basis, we see dangers to ourselves and others in our communities or on the news, but fear not. There are wicked people wish to take advantage of us, natural dangers from weather, and simple accidents that can cause us harm,…

  It is impossible to perfectly describe God. Our language is too limited. We developed our languages to describe ourselves, each other, and the things of the world, all imperfect things. But God is perfect. So all of our descriptions are only analogies to our limited, imperfect existence. God is loving, but not in the…

  Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus’ selection of his Apostles. Apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means “one who is sent.” It is an official term for someone who represents an authority figure. The authority sends out another to speak on their behalf, to make decisions and perform works in their name. These…

  The people of Israel understood that they were God’s chosen people, but they took God’s favor for granted and sought their own desires. Their kings accumulated wealth and power, and they led the people to worship other gods who could increase their holdings. The prophet Hosea, in today’s first reading, condemns their unfaithfulness. All…