Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Today’s first reading brings us the familiar story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their deliverance by God from the fiery furnace. Fans of the Veggie Tales cartoons will remember them as Rach, Shack, and Benny. In fact, if you’re at home with your children (or even if it’s just you!), you might enjoy watching the episode based on this scripture reading with them and discussing the biblical message. You can find the full-length version here. This scripture from Daniel is so timely as we find ourselves in the fiery furnace of a pandemic. Just as God delivered the three friends from the crisis in which they found themselves, so also will God deliver us. And not only did these three men experience deliverance, they used the opportunity of crisis to witness courageously to their faith. Because of their faith and their boldness to share it, the pagan King Nebuchadnezzar repented and experienced conversion. May our faith and love for God shine through these troubled days so that others may come to know the loving deliverance of our Lord. Sometimes it’s hard to maintain that focus when our fears, anxieties, despair, and the whole host of human emotions try to take over. How do we keep faith, hope, and love in the driver’s seat during times like this? I think our responsorial psalm gives us an answer.
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
I love you! How often do we say these words? I love you! How often do we hear these words? I love you! How often do we let these words settle into our souls in a way that allows us to be lifted up? If we could go back ten or twenty years and tell our younger selves a few things what would they be?
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Several months ago there was a big fuss about a priest refusing Joe Biden communion. In the future there will be more media fusses about all sorts of events and human interactions. Today’s readings seem to offer us a Godly perspective on how we handle the media and the fuss.
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
“Then each went to his own house.” Although this is the last sentence in today’s gospel reading, it could be a headline for today’s news. This move to separate during Jesus’ time came from a place of division and judgment. As many of us ”go to our own house” to shelter in, our choice to distance ourselves from each other has a completely different viewpoint. As followers of Christ, our social isolation can reflect our awareness of the unity of all people, and our call to love each other even in the face of great suffering and loss.
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Most people do not want to die. Even Jesus avoided death; he didn’t resist it, but avoided it (as we hear in today’s gospel, he did not want to travel in Judea because he knew some there were trying to kill him). And in the book of Wisdom, a few verses prior to the start of today’s passage, we read, “...God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.” (Wisdom 1:13) I find this reassuring as we are forced to look squarely at death and the heightened risk of so many people’s lives in our country and world right now.
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
In today’s first reading from the Book of Exodus (32:7-14), Moses begs God to spare his people, even though they have created a golden calf to worship as their god. Moses had remained faithful, so God promises to make of him a great nation after destroying the Israelites. But Moses implores God to remember his promise to his chosen people and relent. God relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people.
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
I will admit that I feel intimidated writing the reflection for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This has been a highly significant feast day for me personally, for many years. I experienced a “divine interruption,” a startling, supernatural work of God in my life on this date, March 25, 2011. This act of God took place prior to my conversion to Catholicism, certainly before my awareness or knowledge of feast days, and definitely without my conscious awareness at the time that God was up to something. It was only through spiritual hindsight that I came to recognize the marvelous and extravagant gift that God imparted to me that day. I also came to understand that Christ’s activity in my life was influenced by His Mother, my Mother’s intercession. I am in awe once again, as I type these words, lost in wonderment, overcome by gratitude, marveling at our Blessed Mother’s constant care and intercession. Her continual, uninterrupted ministry is to bring us closer to her son, our Lord Jesus Christ. How can I offer a reflection that even begins to honor our Blessed Mother and her love for each of us? I feel intimidated. From that space, I offer a simple prayer: Lend me your heart, dear Mother.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
These days, there is a lot of fear in popular discourse. While present circumstances are unique to our world, a general fear of disaster is common throughout human history. The psalms are loaded with human-divine reactions to it. Today’s Psalm is an excellent example and a balm to our troubled minds.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth…" How often have we recited this during Mass and for how many years? Even reciting something as consequential as this can become rote. Sadly, many of us say these words and go on…unmoved by the significance of what we have just proclaimed. The point is I am saying that 'I believe'!
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Today’s first reading begins with these words - “Come, let us return to the LORD, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence. Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.” - Hos 6: 1 - 3
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The story from Matthew that we read today seems like exactly the story that we need. What a model. Joseph thinks he knows what’s ahead. He is engaged to Mary and their wedding is approaching. I can imagine that he is feeling very good about all that. He has much to look forward to. Living with his wife, starting a family, watching that family mature. He might even have thought for a moment about years down the road when he and Mary would enjoy their grandchildren.
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Today’s readings have a common theme – God’s words and commandments for God’s people. God’s love undergirds all of God’s instructions and counsel. God desires the very best for each one of us, God’s beloved daughters and sons. Because God desires that we thrive and enjoy abundant life, God reaches out to us in love and teaches us how to live. I can’t help but draw some parallels between today’s texts and the current global health crisis. As we respond personally and collectively to the current situation, let us consider how today’s readings help to guide us.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
What does it take for us to be moved by compassion? In today’s Gospel, the Master is moved with compassion when the servant bows down and begs for mercy. The servant also promises to pay the master in full. When the servant refuses to show the same compassion, the Master intervenes. The story almost feels easy to place ourselves.
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Children of Men came out when I was in college. If you are unfamiliar with it, it is a movie based on a book and is set in the near future after a near-apocalyptic tragedy. Human beings stopped being able to conceive children. The movie is set nearly two decades after the strange event and this gritty, violent, and intense movie shows the imaginings of how much harsher the world would be if we were not tempered by our love for children. This may spoil part of the movie for you, but this theme is driven home when an entire warzone comes to a halt as soldiers hear the cries of a newborn child being carried through the violence. The darkness and grittiness of Children of Men came to mind as I read today's first reading.
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
All of today’s scripture focuses on the great mercy of God. This is the Good News! We find great joy and hope in the belief that God will always be ready to forgive and welcome us back. The challenge for us is that we sometimes believe that God’s mercy should be limited to those we believe deserve His forgiveness. Jesus reminds us that God’s mercy is beyond measure and is available to all who ask and believe.
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
Jealousy can destroy. Jealousy within families is old, at least as old as the book of Genesis. We know the familiar story of Cain and Abel and how jealousy led Cain to kill his own brother. Maybe you know a personal story of jealousy destroying family bonds and connections. Today we read another familiar Old Testament story of sibling jealousy, the story of Joseph and his brothers. I invite you to reflect with me on this timeless story.
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
As we continue our spiritual journey in the second week of Lent, we can reflect on the words found in today’s gospel of Luke. Jesus’ parable is the account of a very rich man who lived a life of extreme luxury. Laid outside the gate of this rich man’s house, however, was a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus simply hoped “to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.” The rich man was consumed by earthly pleasures and focused solely on himself so much so that he became blind to the needs of all around him. He showed Lazarus no love or compassion. Eventually, they both died. Lazarus was welcomed into the kingdom of God, and the rich man was doomed to suffer for eternity. Appealing to Abraham in heaven, the rich man requested that Lazarus be sent to cool his tongue with a drop of water to lessen his “agony in this fire.” The rich man also asked Abraham to send Lazarus back to earth to warn his brothers to repent so that they would never join him in hell. Both requests were denied. Abraham told the rich man that if his brothers did not believe in Scripture, neither would they believe Lazarus, even if he came straight from heaven.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Countless times in prayer, I have asked the Lord for something. Normally, I do it without really thinking about what I am asking for. I ask for things that I want, for things that would follow the plans that I have made. I ask for things like the mother in today’s Gospel. I ask for earthly things. Whereas what I should be doing is asking for the grace, courage, and strength to allow my desires to fall at the wayside so that I may aide in the unfolding of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
Prince of Gomorra! What a name! Why is Isaiah calling his readers this? There must be some bad people that the sacred author is addressing, right? But rather than punishment or vengeance, God is calling for repentance. ‘Set things right. Make justice your aim.’