Today’s readings The presence of God, in some ways, is quite often really unwelcome, at least to those who have made their own gods. Saint Paul urges the Corinthians in today’s first reading to be good discerners of this reality; to turn away from the spirit of the world so that they can turn toward… Continue reading Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week of Ordinary Time
Month: August 2016
The Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Today’s readings What we are celebrating in today’s feast is the fact that prison bars cannot silence truth. John the Baptist was not asked to renounce his faith; indeed Herod was probably very interested in John’s faith and may have even asked him about it on occasion. Not that he wanted to convert, mind you,… Continue reading The Passion of Saint John the Baptist
The Twenty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time
Today’s readings You’ve heard of the deadly sins. They are those sins that can really get at us time and time again in our lives and turn us away from God. They are things like lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath and envy. But for each of those deadly sins, there is also a life-giving virtue.… Continue reading The Twenty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time
Friday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time: Mass of the Holy Spirit
Today’s readings This is the first school Mass of the year, so I celebrated a Mass of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know if you’ve ever had the experience, when you’re talking to someone, that you feel like you’re not both having the same conversation. Or you feel like, even though you’re both speaking English,… Continue reading Friday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time: Mass of the Holy Spirit
Thursday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time
Today’s readings When I was little, I often remember my grandmother saying “thank God for small favors!” Now that’s a holy and pious thought, and I’ll have you know my grandmother was certainly holy and pious. But when she said it, it was usually because someone had just done the least they could possibly do,… Continue reading Thursday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time
Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time
Today’s readings Today we have readings urging us to pay attention. Paul tells the Thessalonians in our first reading today not to freak out if they hear about the second coming of Christ. Rather, they should be in the moment and live as they have been taught and formed in the Gospel that Paul preached… Continue reading Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time
The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On this, the octave day of the Assumption of Mary, we celebrate another great Marian feast, that of the Queenship of Mary. Today we celebrate the fifth glorious mystery of the rosary: Mary is crowned Queen of heaven and earth. The Queenship of Mary has been celebrated ever since Pope Pius XII instituted this celebration… Continue reading The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time
Today’s readings This morning’s Gospel parable is admittedly a bit of a head scratcher. It almost seems to portray our God in a rather unfavorable light, comparing him to a capricious king who destroys whole cities after being snubbed by some invited guests, and then tosses out a visitor who seems to have come to… Continue reading Thursday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time
The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today’s readings Today we gather to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary body and soul into heaven, to reign with her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We believe that our Lord did not want any taint of death to corrupt his Blessed Mother, who was conceived without sin. What is important for us… Continue reading The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Today’s readings As the current political season heats up in these late summer days, I find that it can be very easy to be dismayed. Every candidate, every bit of legislation, everything that comes at us is so disheartening. There is almost a complete rejection of the sanctity of life, there is very little concern… Continue reading The Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time