Daily Reflections
We are being challenged this week to radically follow Christ. First, we have been called to receive his Body and Blood. In this, we are called to communion with God and our neighbor. As we reflected yesterday, this allows us the strength and means to live in the beatitudes. We are called to obedience,…
Continue ReadingWe are given Matthew’s account of the beatitudes for our Gospel today. They can, at times, feel distant or confusing to us. Let’s examine a few and find how to be challenged to live more fully in Christ. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit Do we first recognize the gift of our lives and…
Continue ReadingReflecting on the power of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist, Pope Benedict XVI remarked that he could turn to his brothers and sisters who had received and say, “alas, bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.” He reflected on the reality that by receiving Christ in the Eucharist, we receive…
Continue ReadingBless God! Give him the praise and the glory. The revelation of Azariah’s true identity as the angel Raphael in the Book of Tobit resolves one of the twists in this story. It unveils a profound spiritual truth: God often works in mysterious ways, using unexpected means to bring about His divine purposes. We…
Continue ReadingBrothers and sisters, as we begin to conclude our study of the spiritual lessons in the Book of Tobit, let us put on the mind of Christ and see the profound parallels that are present between the obedience and mission of Tobit’s son Tobiah and that of Lord Jesus Christ to His Father in heaven.…
Continue ReadingIn the intriguing narrative of the Book of Tobit, the angel Raphael plays a central role under the guise of Azariah, son of Hananiah the elder, one of Tobit’s own kinsmen. This hidden identity adds a layer of mystery and suspense to the story and reminds me of the plot twists and intrigue found…
Continue ReadingIn times of suffering and lament, prayer becomes an essential lifeline that connects us with God and provides solace and hope amidst our struggles. It is through prayer that we find the strength to endure, the courage to face our challenges, and the grace to forgive and be forgiven. The Book of Tobit offers…
Continue ReadingThe story in the Book of Tobit contains both moments of serious spiritual lessons and subtle, unexpected elements of humor. There is often a humorous side to our own life story, and this family’s situation is no different. Tobit’s loss of eyesight is the beginning of the plot and is significant throughout the narrative.…
Continue ReadingThe Book of Tobit is a beautiful religious novel that offers valuable insights into the post-exilic Jewish experience and into our own relationship with God. It recounts the story of Tobit, a righteous man who faced many trials and tribulations, yet remained faithful to the Mosaic Law and trusted in God’s commandments. One significant…
Continue ReadingThe doctrine of the Holy Trinity holds a profound and central place within the Christian faith. Based on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, it is a theological mystery that attempts to explain the nature of God and His relationship with humanity. As I reflect upon this doctrine, I find myself drawn into a deep sense…
Continue ReadingIn our Alleluia verse today, we hear “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; giving thanks to God the Father through him.” I can’t help but think of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions with this quote. Charles defended his companions from King Mwanga who persecuted the Christians in his region and…
Continue ReadingToday’s gospel readings are about faith and trust. Jesus gets angry at the people in the temple who are treating the house of God like a Walmart, and he has every right to be! It shows a lack of faith of the people in the temple area. They care more about profit than worshiping…
Continue Reading“Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” I can only imagine, as we celebrate the feast of the Martyr St. Justin, that this quote from today’s gospel was going through his mind. “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.” This quote can run through our minds as well when we feel like…
Continue ReadingToday is a very special day for me. On this very day in the year 2001, I consecrated myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Today I can say “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will…
Continue Reading“With each contribution show a cheerful countenance, and pay your tithes in a spirit of joy,” I remember hearing a homily once about tithing, and I thought it was the most boring homily in the world. Of course, I was only six or seven at the time, but I remember my dad would say…
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.” This quote from our first reading from Genesis is above the mural of the Immaculate Conception in our Abbey Basilica. It reminds us who is in charge…
Continue ReadingToday we celebrate the Church’s birthday and the mission that the Holy Spirit gave to Our Lady and those gathered in the upper room—to go out and spread the gospel. As our responsorial psalm says today, “Lord send out your spirit and renew the face of the earth.” We are called to do the…
Continue Reading“Master, who is the one who will betray you?” This is asked of Jesus in today’s gospel. The sad truth is that it wasn’t just one person who would betray Jesus, it would be the whole world. Mankind—all of us are responsible for Christ’s death. We betrayed Jesus by our sins. Tomorrow, we close…
Continue ReadingToday’s gospel is the famous story of Jesus asking Simon Peter, “Do you love me.” Not just once, but three times! You can look up in theology books to see what the scholars say about this. Me, I have my own idea of why Jesus did this. A reminder that right before this Jesus…
Continue ReadingA couple of weeks ago, England crowned a new King. It was an event covered by lots and lots of media. Most of the media said that this ceremony was rich in history and tradition. The English are quite proud of their traditions, like this coronation event. The King’s coronation ceremony has many traditions…
Continue ReadingWe are in graduation season. Lots of parishes are having special Masses for graduates and giving them special blessings. The parish I was assigned to in Oklahoma City did this. We had a special graduation Mass for our eighth graders heading on to high school. I thought it was important to not just bless…
Continue ReadingIn our first reading, Paul is addressing the presbyters of Ephesus; it’s basically a farewell address. Paul says something striking that we need to note. He tells all he has done for the community, and then says, “Compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem.” Compelled, for me, is a strong word—sounds more…
Continue ReadingJesus tells the disciples that the hour is coming when they will all be scattered to their own homes. The team is breaking up, and all will be on their own. Are the disciples ready for this? Are they worried that they won’t have the support of each other when they are on their…
Continue ReadingLast month my family remembered the anniversary of my mother’s passing. I can still remember that day, saying goodbye to Mom. My Dad and all my siblings were with her as she took her final breath. Mom was the boss that all of us kids took direction from. And after her death, we felt…
Continue ReadingWe conclude the Victory tour this week with Paul’s journey. He goes from place to place and gives strength to the Disciples. This is a far cry from when he persecuted Christians just a short time before. He has been given a new beginning, a new lease on life, and now he goes around…
Continue ReadingWhen we suffer, it brings us to our own depths. When we endure certain pains, we feel them deeply. We cannot put up a front. Jesus tells His Disciples that they will suffer. He points to the example of a woman in labor who bears much pain so that her child will live. He…
Continue ReadingIf you are in a Diocese that celebrates Ascension today or in a local Church where it will be celebrated next Sunday, you will hear the theme of separation in the Gospel. Jesus is preparing to make His exit. He will leave His Disciples. The Holy Spirit will come. Separation is a trial. Parents…
Continue ReadingThere was an old anime cartoon show I watched as a kid—or it is old to me. Two rivals were competing in a tournament and the winner would go on to be the greatest in the game. They bantered back and forth, and the first one said to the second that he couldn’t wait…
Continue ReadingJesus speaks in today’s Gospel about the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, again. We have been hearing much about this Divine Friend as we march on toward Ascension and Pentecost in the Liturgy. The Advocate will come to “convict the World.” The Advocate will speak for righteousness. Paul and Silas faced abhorrent treatment for their…
Continue ReadingEaster celebrates Christ’s victory over death and our calling to receive His gift of Eternal Life. The whole Easter season is like a “victory tour.” We know that Christ has risen and that we carry that message forward. Yet this victory comes with the Cross. We are never without the weight of the Cross…
Continue ReadingTheatre is one of the best performing arts. So much work goes into preparing a play and performing it that it is something that builds good character and creativity. It is so great to get a show “on the road” and ready to perform. In theatre, every role is vital to the performance. The…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us a very important truth: that in every age, the Gospel encounters opposition. We see this in Jesus’ own life, since the opposition to him and his ministry conspires to have him crucified. They actually succeed in this, but as we have seen with Easter, their triumph over Jesus…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel passage, Jesus gives us his own commandment for how we are to live: “love one another as I have loved you.” So Christ’s command to us is to love the way that he loves. In order to fully grasp this, we must understand that love is the very heart of God’s commandments…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel passage, Jesus says to us “if you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love.” When I read that sentence, I find it a little off-putting, and I suspect most everyone else does also. I think this is because we tend to feel that God’s commandments are somewhat arbitrary and…
Continue ReadingIf you happen to be at Conception Abbey on this day and attend Mass or one of the major hours of prayer, Vigils, Lauds, or Vespers, you will notice that the monks are wearing more than our usual monastic habits. Over the top of the habit, we will be wearing an extra-long, black flowing…
Continue ReadingIn today’s Gospel passage, Jesus tells us “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” He also tells us “Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” If we want to know what it looks like to live by these two sayings of Jesus, we see a perfect example in the…
Continue ReadingIn today’s first reading, Paul and Barnabas enter the town of Lystra and begin preaching the Gospel to the inhabitants of that town. In the midst of their preaching, Paul spots a man who has been crippled from birth. Paul recognizes that the man has the faith to be healed and so tells him…
Continue ReadingPossibly the most intimidating thing that Jesus says to us is found in the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5:48). In this verse, Jesus says to us, “You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” That is the RSVCE version. The New America version, that we more commonly use in our…
Continue ReadingOne should take a deep breath and consider carefully the possible ramifications before one prays, “Thy Will be done.” For control freaks, this will be very difficult. St. Paul and Barnabas experienced great success in Antioch, where the community embraced the Good News and were called Christians. Now in a different Antioch (in Pisidia)…
Continue ReadingMalcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, presented something he called the 10,000-hour rule. Basically, in order to master a particular skill, it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice. Anders Ericsson modified that rule in a 1993 research paper to include “deliberate practice,” by which he meant that a teacher’s guidance was also necessary to…
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