Daily Reflections
The desert is a place of spiritual rejuvenation and renewal. We journey with Christ again to return to our original grace. This Lent is a rare time, a scarce time. Lent comes every year, and still it is the only time in the year we can have to reset and prepare for Easter glory.…
Continue Reading“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” is a parallel to the story of the Rich Young Man. The rich man goes away sad because he has many possessions and is unwilling to give them up to follow Jesus unreservedly. What could be scarier than choosing poverty in order to accept…
Continue ReadingOnce I got very upset with a group of seminarians who presumed permissions to do something that I, as Dean of Students, had not allowed. Not only did I think I had given my directions quite explicitly, but also, I was upset that they did not ask me. Then, several days later I turned…
Continue ReadingQueen Esther’s prayer is desperate. She lays flat on the ground with her face in the dust and shakes with anguish from morning to night. It might sound extreme, but I would imagine most of us who have lived long enough and been persons of faith, have had these times when we felt like…
Continue ReadingThere is a form of biblical interpretation that is within the Bible itself: typology. In this, we look at an event or person from the Old Testament and find how Christ parallels, fulfills, or surpasses these mighty deeds and prophets. In today’s gospel, Jesus does typology about Himself. He compares Himself to both the…
Continue ReadingWe’ve all probably had the experience of putting a dollar bill into a vending machine, and instead of taking the money, it spits it back out. It’s frustrating. We were doing all the right things, we had the right tender, why would this stupid machine not take our money and give us our chips?…
Continue ReadingWhen we read a gospel like this, we have to face some hard truths. We realize that hell is a real state of being, not set up to scare us straight. And although faith is a gift that leads the faithful to salvation, we are apparently going to be judged by our charitable works.…
Continue ReadingSeveral years ago, we constructed the new seminary dormitory, Good Shepherd Hall. It was a welcome upgrade, but the building process happened to be going on right next to the seminary chapel. During each morning meditation period where the seminarians and formation personnel were dutifully being good boys, praying in silence, we would hear…
Continue ReadingIt is easy to fall into judging other people. It happens all around us, almost as if the air itself is diffused with judgment. Certainly, there is no shortage of suffering and harmful acts around us, but we often make assumptions about people’s motivations and designate them as evil. When Jesus encounters the tax…
Continue ReadingThe monastic tradition has always emphasized that penances must be discerned with the guidance of a wise elder in order to avoid the sins of pride and vainglory. Those who are zealous for God can find themselves moved to perform burdensome penances in imitation of great saints or to purify themselves of vice. It…
Continue ReadingIt seems backward that we should lay down our lives in order to save them. All of our basic instincts are oriented towards self-preservation: finding food, running from danger or attacking threats, seeking relationships for their support, etc. Just like any animal, our natural inclination is to avoid death. The difference, however, is that…
Continue ReadingWe begin the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, and there is always discussion about whether we should keep our ashes on our heads throughout the day or wash them off after Mass. The Gospel reading suggests that we should wash our faces and not at all look like we are fasting because the…
Continue ReadingHow wonderful it is to know that the Lord desires each one of us. Not only does He desire us in our brokenness and pain, but He does not leave us there. Sirach describes life away from God as already being dead. He says in today’s first reading, “To the penitent God provides a…
Continue Reading“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This last Sunday of Ordinary time is a fitting time to reflect on our sinfulness, especially as we prepare to enter the season of Lent.…
Continue ReadingI was on a retreat recently, and a piece of text stuck out to me. “Do not be afraid of your weakness.” All too often, I let my pride get in the way of prayer. My worries about how I am doing or how others view me can lead to me not being able…
Continue ReadingLove is the greatest commandment our Lord Jesus Christ gave us! St. Francis de Sales called friendship the most dangerous of all loves. Why? Because while other forms of love can exist without communication or closeness, friendship is entirely built upon them. True friendship means sharing in both the virtues and faults of the…
Continue ReadingAs we begin today’s reflection, let us pause and let the words of today’s Alleluia verse, often sung or said right before the Gospel proclamation, take root in our hearts: “Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God.” In the Gospel today,…
Continue ReadingWhat a beautiful selection of readings the Church has chosen for today. In the first reading from the book of Wisdom, one of the main themes is that wisdom is lifegiving; we find fulfillment in gaining wisdom. However, the journey of gaining wisdom has many challenges. As the first reading lays out, wisdom tries…
Continue ReadingTwo important themes from today’s readings are perseverance and collaboration. It is important that we are patient with the Lord and with ourselves. With this patience, embrace any trials and tribulations that may come our way. If things become difficult, it is crucial to remain steadfast in the Lord because He is the Good…
Continue Reading“The Lord is king: he is robed in majesty” (Psalm 93). The Lord speaks to us in various ways. Today, the Lord wants to speak to you with words of healing and mercy if you let Him. The Lord changes lives and brings new meaning, healing, and mercy. Have you asked the Divine Physician…
Continue Reading“Love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High.” The world declares that we love those who love us, but no more than that. God, however, calls us to a higher form of love. A…
Continue ReadingToday’s feast day commemorates the Chair of St. Peter. This points to his authority as Pope and shows the authority of all of his successors, as well as the authority shared by all priests, an authority given by Christ Himself. This is why all of the readings today point to the Priesthood. These readings…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel, we hear the call to take up our cross and follow Christ. He calls us not only to carry the weight of the cross patiently but also to carry it boldly in our day. Every day, we bear a cross that the Lord wants to use not only to teach us…
Continue ReadingAs humans, we value security. We like to know what is ahead of us, and how to deal with whatever is coming. But God is not calling us to security: instead, he asks that we put our trust in him. God does things that we do not understand. We see this in the Gospel…
Continue ReadingWe read in Genesis that when Noah was waiting for the earth to become dry, he first sent out a raven which never returned, and then he sent out a dove three times. We also read that when he sent out the dove, he decided to wait seven days after each time it returned, before…
Continue ReadingGod is a good and generous Father. He makes known this generosity to us through His Son many times in the scriptures, and the Gospel today reminds us of this. The Apostles continuously remind us of ourselves throughout the scriptures by their inability to remain completely trustworthy in the Father’s care and generosity. The…
Continue ReadingSometimes it can be difficult to understand why the Church puts certain readings together for the same Mass. Today’s readings are certainly an example of this. In the first reading, Cain kills his brother Abel; in the gospel, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign, which he denies them. There seems to be no…
Continue ReadingAs we move towards Lent, the Church gives us a different Sermon than we are used to. Typically, people know the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes, its teachings on fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, and its warnings of Pharisaic rigidity. In Luke, we get the Sermon on the Plain with its similar-but-different exhortations.…
Continue ReadingA Few Loaves and Fish I love Mark’s Gospel for its matter-of-fact style. We hear it in today’s gospel passage about the feeding of a large crowd. Read it slowly or else you’ll miss it. Did you notice? It doesn’t add up. They had seven loaves and a few fish, but there were about…
Continue ReadingIn a Strange Land In 1980, the first Slav pope, Pope John Paul II declared Sts. Cyril and Methodius co-patron saints of Europe, together with St. Benedict of Nursia. Born in Thessalonica, Greece, in the 9th century AD, Cyril and Methodius were two brothers who were very influential in evangelizing among the Slavic peoples…
Continue ReadingSuitable Partner Imagine you are the first (and only) living being. You live in a beautiful garden with various trees that are “…delightful to look at and good for food….” (Gn 2:9) You have something to do, you have a role to play, and you are close to God who created you. What more…
Continue ReadingOne Exception Today’s reading from the Book of Genesis is the second story of creation. Did you know there was a second version? It is different from the six days of creation and a seventh day of rest. This version begins with the creation of the first man—out of the clay of the ground.…
Continue ReadingBack to Basics This week at Mass, we hear from the first chapters of the Book of Genesis. In a simple and poetic way, the creation story tells of God creating the fundamental things of our visible world in an orderly sequence. For all the scientific discoveries and research done to understand creation, we…
Continue ReadingSister and Brother The Benedictine Monks of Conception Abbey have the tradition of visiting the nearby Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration on this day, the Feast of St. Scholastica. Our monasteries are just a couple of miles apart, and both our motherhouses are in Switzerland. We join them for Vespers (Evening Prayer) and a…
Continue ReadingChrist is the Expert “Do it yourself” (DIY) is quite popular these days. In the areas of home improvement, hobby projects, and even education (self-help, online classes), many people seek to do it themselves. It’s a good approach. You save money. You learn for the next time. You feel a sense of accomplishment. DIY…
Continue ReadingOn this Marian Saturday, St. Maximilian Kolbe says about the rosary: “The Rosary is… a very sublime prayer… because by reciting it we reflect upon the mysteries of faith. Moreover, the more one is keen and competent in matters of faith, the deeper one can reflect on these mysteries and be led to discover…
Continue ReadingToday’s gospel account is the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist. I remember one time, our very own Fr. Aquinas said at Mass that if you look at the passage of where it says, “When he [Herod] heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him.” Even Herod’s…
Continue Reading“Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” This passage from today’s gospel goes well with our martyrs for today. St. Paul Miki and his companions didn’t…
Continue ReadingIn our alleluia verse today, we hear, “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” Today is the great feast of St. Agatha, she once said, “Lord, my creator, you have protected me since I was in the cradle. You have taken me from the love of…
Continue Reading“If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” The power of touch is something that is very important, I remember a priest telling me, “I have an elderly parishioner…
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