Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
For some reason I recently started listening again to the soundtrack from the musical Godspell. I hadn’t listened to it in years, but found it on my music app and have been moved once again by the songs. Today’s responsorial psalm (137:1-6) brings to mind one of the songs: “On the Willows,” which is based on that psalm of lament after the Babylonian exile.
Thursday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time
Having spent time at a beach, I know first hand what Jesus refers to when he talks about building your house (or your “castle”) on the sand. It only takes one wave to completely annihilate all the hard work and effort that had been put forth to make my magnificent creation. In today’s gospel, Jesus calls us to create lives built on His word. Not only do we need to know Jesus and His message, but we need to put his directives into action in order for us to have a solid foundation. Jesus shares some challenging ideas in this passage that make me stop to consider how am I building my house?
Wednesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Trees are stunning examples of the grandeur of God’s creation. From the most delicate to the mighty Redwood, a healthy tree is a gorgeous sight to behold. Picture your favorite tree. Perhaps it’s a fruit tree, or maybe one bearing nuts or olives, or a flowering tree. Imagine that tree in full bloom, gloriously healthy, laden with fruit or blossoms. Now imagine that tree is you! As Christ’s disciples, we are called to bear fruit, to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-26), the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, and to pattern our lives after the life of Christ. Today, let us examine our “branches.” Will we find fruit there, and if so, what kind?
Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s gospel passage from Matthew is one that rightly gives us pause. Wait a second – did Jesus just say that most people head toward destruction and that only a few find the road that leads to life? Does this mean that most of the people I know are going toward destruction? And what does it mean about me? How do I know if I’m on the right path, heading toward the narrow gate?
Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
The solemnities of the nativities of Jesus & John the Baptist serve as bookends in the liturgical year. The Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord is observed at the time of the winter solstice, while the birth of his forerunner is observed six months earlier at the time of the summer solstice.
Our various memorials, feasts, solemnities, and seasons are richly rooted in our natural world. The sun begins to increase at the Nativity of the Lord. The sun begins to decrease at the Nativity of the Baptist. “He must increase, while I must decrease.”- John 3:30-35
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
“Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself,” (Matthew 6:34).
When I was younger, I used to worry a lot and was uncomfortable about uncertainty. I found that there is wisdom in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus is helping us re-focus on what life is about. In a way, worrying about what we will eat, drink, and wear takes away focus from God and what God calls us to do: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,” (Matthew 6:33).
Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
“And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” (Mt 6:23) I am struck by Jesus’ metaphors in our gospel today. I’m particularly drawn to the destruction of moths and decay. Some cultures see moths as symbols of death and believe they bring messages from the afterlife. Last week, we were visiting family in Wisconsin where my cousin recently experienced the frustration of having moths get into her pantry and closet, wreaking havoc on many of the items stored within. Today, we are encouraged to “store up treasures in heaven.” (19) How? Let the light of Christ come in.
Thursday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
When I think of Jesus’ admonition that we do not babble when we pray like the pagans, I am reminded of prayers I heard in a small Mennonite church that I attended back in the early 1990s. The church was going through a tough time. Several members, like me, were graduate students who were not able to give a lot to the church financially. The budget was always a challenge.
Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
On a recent trip to Chicago with my family, we decided to visit the Museum of Science and Industry. We had parked and headed up to buy tickets when a kind woman approached us and offered us vouchers for free admission. We were so surprised and thankful for her generosity. We used the vouchers to get all five of us in for free. When my 10-year-old son figured out what had happened he shouted out to the whole museum – “God bless that woman! She was so kind!”
Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
So, be perfect just as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus utters a challenge that seems impossible. In our secular language perfection connotes no errors, perfect scores on tests, or a rarely attainable flawless achievement in Olympic gymnastics or figure skating. Aiming for a narrowly defined external performance can cause undue stress in athletes, students and myself alike, and take away the joy of the sport, learning and living life!
Friday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Hear, O Lord, the sound of my call; have pity and answer me. Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks. Your presence, O Lord, I seek. Hide not your face from me.
Today’s responsorial psalm (27:7-9,13,14) not only speaks to me; in it I also imagine Elijah from today’s first reading (Book of Kings) praying these words as he is taking shelter in a cave, hiding from those who seek his life.
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus was a “rabbi” par excellence. In today’s Gospel, his contemporaries say he “taught with authority, unlike the scribes.”
The scribes, scholars of Mosaic law, would cite sacred scripture or Jewish tradition, to give their teachings authority. But Jesus didn’t need to do that.
Saturday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Let your "Yes" mean "Yes" and your "No" mean "No."(Matthew 5:37)
In the past, whenever I’ve read today’s Gospel passage, I interpret its message as say what you mean and mean what you say. However, perhaps there’s a deeper meaning. Jesus is not just saying do what you say you’re going to do but also be intentional with what you are going to say.
Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
June is here, flowers are blooming, and gardens are growing to produce delicious fruits and vegetables in due time. As someone who enjoys working in the dirt, I realize that there are some essentials when planting- good soil, sunshine and water. In today’s readings, we hear about the importance of water in giving and sustaining life. How often do we take this precious gift for granted, and in what ways can we gratefully protect this important resource?
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Our first reading today presents the remarkable story of the Prophet Elijah taking on the prophets of Baal in an epic confrontation. As the last remaining prophet in Israel, Elijah is determined to call the people back to the One true God and to demonstrate the futility of serving false gods. This powerful narrative serves as a reminder to us to serve the Lord our God and God alone. Today let us repent of the ways in which we may have placed our trust in anything or anyone other than God and to recommit ourselves to Him, asking for the grace we need to be faithful and obedient followers.
Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle
Inspiration for my reflection on today’s Gospel comes, once again, from the wisdom of my kindergarten students this past year. During cafeteria duty I noticed that about once a week the kids’ meals came with a soft pretzel on the side. I love salty snacks and would have to say that pretzels are one of my favorite go-tos for a lunch side. But as I walked around I noticed most of the kids either didn’t eat their pretzels or picked the salt off them. Curious, and a little horrified, I asked a few of them one day why they did that. The answer was always the same, “It’s too salty. I just like it plain.”
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Mountains and hills dot the landscape of Palestine and are mentioned more than 500 times in the Bible. High places had a logical symbolism being “closer to the God who dwells in the heavens.” A mountain top was a natural place for theophany. God’s revelation was often on a high place. And such Old Testament references mattered a great deal, particularly to Matthew’s Jewish laden audience.
Matthew has six significant mountain scenes: Jesus’ temptation (Matthew 4:8), the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12), a number of healings (Matthew 15:29-31), the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1), Jesus’ final discourse (Matthew 24:3), and the commissioning of the Twelve (Matthew 28:16-20).
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“And his mother kept all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51)
Today’s memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary directs us to look at Mary’s interior life. In the Gospels, we read twice that Mary kept things in her heart: today’s Gospel passage when she and Joseph found Jesus in the Temple and in Luke 2:19 when the shepherds told Mary and Joseph what the angels said. Therefore, Mary is a model of prayer for us, so we can learn from her how to pray with and see God in the events and interactions with people in our lives.
Solemnity of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
“O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in you!” (Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, 84) We have a two foot tall statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the mantel in our living room that was passed down from my grandparents. It holds a special place in my heart (not nearly as sacred) because of the familial connection and because of how it has inspired our family to pray together. In the Spring of 2020, soon after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we started a 54-day novena to the Divine Mercy. Each night at 9PM, we gathered on zoom with our parents and LeeAnn’s grandparents to pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy together. We finished the novena and decided to just keep going. Selfishly, it was a great way to connect with our parents and grandparents, all of whom live hours away so our kids not only got to pray with them, but they talked to and saw them regularly. Four years later, we still have a standing nine o’clock virtual meeting to pray the chaplet. Some nights the call is quick because we just log on, pray, and say goodnight; other nights, we are on the call for 45 minutes telling stories and sharing updates. The Sacred Heart of Jesus has drawn us into closer relationships with one another and created a powerful connection for our family.
Thursday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
I teach a class at UD in which we study the rhetoric of Protestant fundamentalism and the Amish. On the first day of class, I always ask students to reflect a bit, first on paper and then in discussion as a class, on the tradition in which they grew up. For most students, that is Catholicism. Most, in fact, not only went to Mass every Sunday but also attended Catholic schools from elementary all the way to UD.
Inevitably, as we study the rhetoric of fundamentalism, they recognize it. They didn’t know that what they were being taught in Mass and in school had its origins in fundamentalism. Now they do. And it puzzles them that their Catholic world has been infiltrated by a belief system that is in many ways different from the Catholicism of the Church since Vatican II.