Daily Reflections
Mary pondered. She pondered and allowed her heart to move to a place of acceptance of God’s will. It’s often the case in life that we will experience things we do not understand, do not like, or cannot change. Every moment like this is an opportunity to ponder—which is to say, reflect in silence.…
Continue ReadingAn angel of the Lord appears to Manoah’s wife and promises that she will conceive and bear a son. Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord visits the lowly and humble. God comes in the small and ordinary circumstances when we call upon Him with great faith. Greatness isn’t measured in popularity and worldly esteem but…
Continue ReadingThere are countless examples in the Bible of humanity not listening: Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, Pharaoh hardened his heart to God and did not listen, and the Chosen People, once freed from slavery in Egypt the people’s grumbling and complaining, which can also be seen as their refusal to listen.…
Continue ReadingMany of my friends, especially those with young children, have mixed feelings about the holiday season. On the one hand, they look forward to the time spent with family and friends, the anticipation of preparing and celebrating Christmas. But, they also feel overwhelmed by the pressures to buy more, or try to accomplish everything…
Continue ReadingElijah and John the Baptist were like fire; their words were like a flaming furnace. As the saying goes, the truth hurts, and the prophets’ vocation was to point out the truth of people’s sin they hoped to ignore. Fire is destructive, yes, but fire is also purifying. We know that the lifecycle of…
Continue ReadingA little mystery is a good thing. However, as a pastor and as an administrator in a seminary, I have found under-communication can be a serious mistake. When you don’t connect the dots, people can, and will, speculate wildly. And misunderstanding often causes the confused to assume the worst about you. When Jesus cleanses…
Continue ReadingWhat a shift we have had in Isaiah’s prophecy! We heard about a worldwide banquet in God’s presence, with enemies in the animal kingdom becoming friends. By contrast today: “O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel.” In fairness, the context is: “Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel. I will help you, says the…
Continue ReadingIsaiah tells us today that our God is strong if we are weak, and in fact, He makes us strong when we are weak. This is essential to remember. Why? Because sometimes we like to cling to our problems. This must sound crazy. Why would anyone want to stay in pain, sin, or resentment?…
Continue ReadingIn my iconography class at the seminary, we paint sacred icons in a traditional Byzantine-Slav style. Christ and Mary are depicted as persons with Mediterranean appearances, corresponding to the places where the original artworks developed as much as trying to be culturally sensitive. However, I have been asked if Jesus and saints could be…
Continue ReadingThe Advent season presents us with images of the Messianic Age. Today, it is the highway for the Lord. What made empires strong in the ancient world were their roads. The spread of the gospel happened rapidly in the Roman Empire because of the well-paved and protected roads that epitomized the Pax Romana. Yet,…
Continue Reading Here at the seminary, we are entering finals’ week. I look around at students’ glazed-over faces. It seems like there is never enough time in a day to get everything done. For parents, between work and children’s seasonal programs, it’s particularly hectic. For the elderly, doing anything takes all day it seems. For…
Continue Reading“Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, … proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, … At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were ….like sheep without a shepherd.” The New Interpreter’s Study Bible comments on the context here: “[Jesus’] actions manifest God’s powerful…
Continue Reading“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” Our Basilica, the abbey to which we belong, the congregation of Benedictine monks we belong to ,and the country we live in—all are under the patronage of…
Continue Reading“…like the wise man who built his house on rock.” In our first reading, from Isaiah, we learn of this rock: “The Lord is an eternal rock.” Is my life built upon this rock? The Sacred Scriptures teach us that the solidity of such a building comes through the ear: Jesus tells his hearers…
Continue Reading“My heart is moved with pity for the crowd.” There was a synod on evangelization in 1974. In the document preparatory to the synod, evangelization was defined as “bringing people to the mystery of Christ.” The Advent Season reminds us of three comings of Christ: in history, in mystery, and at the end of…
Continue Reading“Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.’” In our day, when we hear so many things, so quickly and with so much interpretation,…
Continue Reading“…[Jesus] was amazed and said to those following him, ‘Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith…’” This centurion, a foreigner in Israel, in his act of faith, stands for all those people we have come across, in person, in reading, in media viewing—outsiders whose faith puts…
Continue Reading We wait in order to learn the hiddenness of redemption and holiness. In today’s readings, we have two fine Scriptures to guide us to our hidden God. Isaiah says in the first reading: “You have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.” Paul tells us: “You are…
Continue ReadingToday, Saturday of the 34th week of Ordinary Time is the last day of the liturgical year. Tomorrow, with the First Sunday of Advent, we begin a new liturgical year. Now if we look at the gospel passages for today and tomorrow we will notice something interesting. Today’s Gospel (Lk 21:34-36) we are told…
Continue ReadingThe Gospel passage today ends with a very interesting thought from Jesus, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” In the prologue of the gospel of John, John writes, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A few…
Continue ReadingToday we celebrate the Feast of the Apostle Andrew. In the Gospel passage for this feast (Mt 4:18-22), we see Andrew, along with his brother Simon Peter, being called by Jesus as they fish in their boat. Shortly after we see the brothers James and John also called by Jesus as they mend their…
Continue ReadingIn today’s gospel, Jesus presents us with a very interesting contrast. He begins by speaking about coming persecutions that members of the Church will face (and we certainly have throughout history). He speaks of us being hauled before courts, and he concludes by saying that some of us will be put to death. That…
Continue ReadingIn today’s gospel, Jesus speaks of the coming destruction of the temple (this actually occurred in 70 AD). People’s curiosity is aroused, and they ask him for the signs that will show that this is about to happen. The signs that Jesus lists are interesting: nations rising against nations, wars; plagues, earthquakes, famines, and…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel, Jesus greatly admires the poor widow who puts all of her money into the collection box at the temple. He says of her that she put in more than all of the rest, who were giving out of their surplus. We should all strive to be like her in our own…
Continue ReadingToday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King (next Sunday we begin Advent with the First Sunday of Advent). For me, the definitive statement of Christ’s Kingship is actually found in Mt 28:18, when Jesus approaches the Eleven on the mountaintop in Galilee after the Resurrection and says to them: “All power in…
Continue ReadingThe Psalms may often be considered too poetic, too repetitive, and perhaps lacking an obvious storyline that the Gospels or other books of the Bible present. Still, the Psalms can be a powerful means of prayer and reflection about one’s relationship with God and how we are to live as Christians. Today’s responsorial psalm…
Continue ReadingIn all three of today’s readings, there is a message of reassurance of God’s love for us and His promise never to leave us. There is also a message of thanksgiving for the countless blessings and graces the Lord has bestowed upon us. This message is very fitting for the day after Thanksgiving. To…
Continue Reading“Jesus, Master have pity on us,” the ten cried out. “And as they were going they were cleansed.” This familiar passage reminds us to give thanks to God. Ten lepers were healed, yet only one returned to Jesus to give thanks. How often do we fail to give thanks to God? How many times…
Continue ReadingIn the first reading today, we hear of a family who had great courage in the face of tremendous pain. The second book of Maccabees tells us that seven brothers died for the sake of God and to keep His commands. Their mother witnessed the death of her sons, but she had great courage…
Continue ReadingThere is a surprising connection between our Old Testament reading and our Gospel reading for the day. Both describe similar events, but they appear contrary to each other. Eleazar faces martyrdom because he refuses to take up the practices of an alien religion. Jesus faces ridicule because “he has gone to stay at the…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel, we hear of a blind man sitting by the road as Jesus and the crowd walk past. As he walks past, the blind man calls out to Jesus hoping to be healed, and yet the crowd tries to silence his pleas. As our society slowly becomes more anti-God and anti-faith, it…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel, Jesus shares with his disciples a parable of a master and his three servants. The master gives the first servant five talents, the second servant two, and the third servant one. The first servant immediately goes out and makes another five talents, and the second servant makes another two. However, the…
Continue Reading“Remember the marvels the Lord has done!” So, we pray in the psalm response. The first reading from the Book of Wisdom is a summary of God’s mighty deeds for his Chosen People. And the Christian world sees in the opening verses (14ff), a reference to the coming of the Word – the all-powerful…
Continue ReadingThe Gospel speaks of judgment. At the judgment the question will be: is the Kingdom within you? Are you part of that Kingdom? That’s the question put to us every day: are you part of the Kingdom of God? Is the Spirit of the Kingdom within you? By our actions, are we clearly identified…
Continue ReadingWe hear the instruction about the spirit and the power of wisdom. “Compared to light, she takes precedence; for that, indeed, night supplants, but wickedness prevails not over Wisdom. Indeed, she reaches from end to end mightily and governs all things well.” Jesus speaks of the coming of the kingdom in answer to the…
Continue Reading“Set your desire on my words.” Long for them, and you will be instructed. They will be made holy who observe holy things in holiness. Your faith has made you well. Three simple thoughts with powerful consequences. We are instructed to long for the words of the Lord, to ponder the Word of God,…
Continue ReadingSpeakers of many kinds and on many different occasions seem to like to state things in three’s – one radio show (Garrison Keillor) would end with, “Be well, keep in touch, and do good work.” Kind of a good wish for the day. We hear these sometimes in Scripture too – one comes to…
Continue ReadingWe continue readings from the Book of Wisdom. The book begins: “Love justice you who judge the earth; seek him in integrity of heart.” Jesus tells his disciples to guard against leading anyone into sin. He also repeats words found elsewhere in the gospel about forgiveness: if someone wrongs you and seeks forgiveness, then…
Continue ReadingOn November 1, we celebrated the Feast of All Saints—celebrating all those saints who are now with God. We celebrated the Body of Christ—living in glory in the heavenly kingdom, those of us called to be holy here on earth below. And the next day (All Souls), we celebrated and remembered those on their…
Continue ReadingMammon comes from the word “amen,” which is a confirmation of faith. Therefore, mammon refers to a treacherous object in which people put their faith, such as money, that will inevitably fail to live up to their faith. Jesus is offering a warning not to rely on money and suggests that it is often…
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