Daily Reflections

  Our two readings speak of expulsions: that of Hagar and Jesus. From a modern Christian point of view, the former case seems at one and the same time unjust and messy in how it came to this point. Suffice it to say that there was a lot of desperation, jealousy, and regret involved in…

  Today the liturgy gives special witness to the confession of Peter on which our faith is built: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It is of great interest that the passage from Acts relates that Peter is arrested as the Passover begins. Unlike the Jews who participate in the Feast…

  It never seems just to punish an entire group for the faults of a few. It is not fair to the innocent, and likewise, it often does not send the right message to the offenders, for whom hopefully the intent is amendment. In a parish, there are times where a priest must correct behavior,…

  The Judeo-Christian view of death is that it was a consequence of our first parents’ choice to sin. As St. Paul says, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23) and “just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all” (Rom. 5:12). Still, the…

  Lord, I Am Not Worthy It is good to be hospitable. In the first reading, Abraham and Sarah welcome three visitors to rest and eat during a hot summer’s day. Not only is it charitable, but it may also be to our benefit. One of the men promises that Abraham and Sarah will have…

  Law of Moses; Law of Christ Today, we begin a new section of the Gospel of Matthew: Jesus’ signs of healing. Jesus has concluded giving the new Law in his great Sermon on the Mount. He is now coming down from the mountain, just like Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the Law…

  He Must Increase; I Must Decrease Only recently did I realize why the Nativity of St. John the Baptist occurs on June 24th. As it is recounted in scripture (see Luke 1:36), John was born six months before Jesus was. But we celebrate the Nativity of the Lord on December 25th, not 24th. Why…

  Descendants and Fruits In the first reading, the LORD makes a covenant with Abram, promising to give him his own descendants and his own land. But before they make a covenant (a solemn pact), Abram expresses his doubt about how this can be. He does not have an heir. The land he is in…

  Pearls and Holy Things The first saying of Jesus from the Gospel today is enough for the day’s reflection: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6) In my Bible, I had written a…

  Splinters and Beams Recently, I got a wooden beam in my eye. Well, it felt like one, but it was just a tiny splinter of mulch. I was mulching around a tree and it blew right in. Boy, it hurt! I rushed to the nearest sink and splashed my eyes with water. I thought…

  Be Still and Have Faith I’d like to this of today as “Good Refuge Sunday.” Just as there is “Good Shepherd Sunday” in Easter, named after the gospel of that day, so today’s gospel is of Jesus, our Refuge, who calms the wind and seas of our lives. As the story goes, Jesus and…

  Today is the memorial of St. Romuald (956-c 1027), a Benedictine monk who founded the Order of Camaldoli in Tuscany, Italy. The entrance antiphon presents the image of the cedar tree, a metaphor for the monk who flourishes in the courts of the Lord (the monastery): “The just will flourish like the palm tree,…

  In our first reading today, St. Paul continues the defense of his ministry to the Corinthians by reminding them of his qualifications over those of the “superapostles.” He declares that he is also a Hebrew, a descendant of Abraham. He carefully enumerates the many trials and hardships he has endured in bringing them the…

  In our opening reading today, St. Paul addresses the Corinthian community concerning division within the church. He speaks of “superapostles,” intruders who are preaching a message different from the Gospel of God he had proclaimed to them. He reminds them that it was he who “betrothed you to one husband to present you as…

  Our readings today focus on the proper interior attitude needed in our works of charity and manner of worship. St. Paul explains to the Corinthians that one must give according to what one has so bountifully received from God without sadness or compulsion, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7). The responsory…

  Today we hear St. Paul encouraging the Christians of Corinth to model their lives on the example of Christ: “Christ…became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (2 Cor 8:9). He exhorts them to share not only of their material goods but also to be generous in…

Foreword: During Ordinary Time, the entrance and communion antiphons of the Sunday liturgy are repeated throughout the week. In this way, the themes developed at the Sunday mass are enriched and expanded as they interact with the different readings found on each day of the following week in much the same way that a kaleidoscope…

  In the scriptures this Sunday, we hear of trees and kingdoms! The opening reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel relates God’s wondrous plan of redemption for the Kingdom of Israel, which is now in exile in Babylon. Using the metaphor of the cedar tree, the prophet gives hope to the exiles by…

  “The love of Christ impels us,” (2 Cor 5:14). This powerful phrase from St. Paul has inspired Christians for ages. Conception Seminary College, our main apostolate at Conception Abbey, has this as its motto. We are impelled to do all things with and in Christ. Mary is a perfect example of this maxim. She…

  When Notre Dame burned down in Paris, France in 2019, it was a true travesty. That Cathedral not only represented the Archdiocese of Paris, it also represented France’s history. The whole country of France, and many in the World, mourned this travesty. In Paris, there is another Church that is not as well-known as…

  Second Corinthians describes a veil that covers “the hearts” of those who read from Moses in the Old Testament. St. Paul admits that even the Gospel is veiled, but only for “those who are perishing.” He declares that through “the ministry” we have received “through mercy… we are not discouraged.” The same God who…

  Jesus told His followers that He didn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He said with certainty that not even “the smallest letter of the law” would pass away. Jesus knew what the Law was for. It wasn’t just a set of rules and standards. The Jews left Egypt in the…

  “You are salt of the Earth…light of the World.” Salt and light are not often things you think about that go together. We use salt as seasoning, and any doctor worth their salt would not suggest adding more salt to your diet! When it comes to light we are used to artificial light being…

  The Beatitudes are the subject of today’s Gospel. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” “Blessed are the Meek,” “Blessed are the Peacemakers,” “Blessed are the pure of heart,” etc. These teachings give clear insight into Jesus’ heart. They show what He valued (and still values). Jesus did not respect wealth or the prestige of…

  It is quite something to think that the Body and Blood of Jesus, His real presence, total and true, could be contained within the consecrated host and wine at Mass. Yet this is exactly what the Eucharist is. We believe that Jesus Christ is fully and truly present in the Eucharist at Mass. This…

  One of the local Catholic university presidents once told me this maxim: “No money, no mission.” Jesus tells us to leave everything to follow Him, to sell everything and give to the poor in order to be perfect. However, even the Lord relied on the charity of some wealthy women to subsidize his public…

  When tragedy occurs people say, “Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” Since most everything in society has become political, some politicians have used this phrase to decry inaction on the part of their opponents. “Keep your thoughts and prayers,” they say, “What we need now are actions!” This rejoinder is a false dichotomy.…

  In the seminary, a man sometimes discerns that he is not called to the priesthood. There are times, however, when a man may or may not be a good candidate but it is unclear. Why? Because he is unformable – he is somehow resistant in his will to be conformed to the man who…

  I remember getting to know an elderly woman who spoke fondly of her husband. At the same time, she looked forward with excitement to heaven without reference to reunion with him. It was unusual but to me seemed appropriate. God denies us no good thing that would contribute to the joy of heaven. This…

  The Pharisees and the Herodians make strange bedfellows. As the saying goes, however, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” I would guess that they teamed up to catch Jesus on either side of an issue. For the Pharisees, Roman coinage was unclean because it bore the image of man (hence moneychangers in…

  The rather unfamiliar prophet Zephaniah personifies the holy city of Jerusalem and gives her a message of future hope. Daughter Jerusalem is an image used by the Church today on the Feast of the Visitation as fulfilled in Mary and Elizabeth. Elizabeth says to Mary that she is blessed because she believed what was…

  Several years after being ordained a priest, I went back to graduate school at a secular university. Once in a seminar, the professor brought up the notorious billboards that line Interstate Highway 70 in Missouri from St. Louis to Kansas City. “Oh yes!” I exclaimed, thinking we were all talking about the same thing.…

  It’s mysterious why some people have a very strong faith, but others have little or no faith in God. A friend of mine from college was so resistant of faith in God that claimed everything he experienced that might indicate God’s action was either coincidence or chance. We can never know exactly what is…

  Jesus astonishes the crowds by his teaching and at the same time infuriates the chief priests and the scribes when he cleanses the Temple—driving out the money changers and those who were buying and selling. In such a way, Jesus attempts to restore the Temple to a house of prayer. The Temple, with all…

  I remember when I got to that age where I was embarrassed to walk around with my Mom or my Dad holding their hand. I was a “big boy” and it was time to assert my independence, and I didn’t need either of them to walk me across the street or hold on to…

  We celebrate the Memorial of St. Philip Neri, who was born in 1515 in Florence, Italy. Known for his cheerfulness and joy, St. Philip was not afraid to challenge men and women and call them to holiness. One famous story communicates his way of offering rebuke and urging others to conversion: On one occasion,…

  St. Teresa of Avila in her frustration cried out to God, and is supposed to have said: “If this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder why You have so few of them!” Thankfully St. Teresa persevered in her trials, but she realized that being a friend of God does not always mean…

  In 2018, Pope Francis decreed that the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church be inserted into the Roman Calendar on the Monday after Pentecost. The Holy Father wished to promote this devotion to Mary, Mother of the Church in order to “encourage the growth of the maternal sense of the…