Victorious in Christ – Memorial: St. Cecilia (Rev 5:1-10; Ps 149; Lk 19:41-44) ****************************************** Recall your experience of winning an event of any kind, the feelings involved of being on the winning side and the way those feelings return when we remember the event, like Canada winning Olympic gold. I remember the highway I was […]

Memorial: Presentation of Mary (Rev 4:1-11; Ps 150; Lk 19:11-28) *********************************** This memorial of the Presentation of Mary is a commemoration of 543 dedication of the basilica St. Mary the New in Jerusalem. In 1585 this memorial spread to the Western Church. An apocryphal account tells us of Joachim and Anna bringing Mary as a […]

Faith, Repentance and Acceptance (Rev 3:1-22; Ps 15; Lk 19:1-10) ******************************************** Is your faith hot, cold or lukewarm? The readings today invite us to keep our relationship with God and Jesus fresh and strong through contemplative prayer, repent of our sins, and learn not to judge others. In the first reading from Revelations, St. John […]

Faith, Forgiveness and Healing (Rev 2:4; Ps 1:1-6; Lk 18:35-43) **************************************** “Lay your hands gently upon us, Let Your touch render Your peace! Let them bring Your forgiveness and healing; Lay Your hands, gently lay your hands.” Those words from the hymn by Carey Landry touch on the message from today’s readings – having a […]

The End of The World: Last Things Resource: Who Knows the Shape of God? by Corbin Eddy. (Daniel 12:1-3; Ps 16; Hebrews 10:11-14, 18; Mk 13:24-32) ************************************************************ Are you in a rut, or in a groove? Some people are in a rut so long they think it’s a groove. Today’s readings are designed to jar us […]

On Faith and Caring – Memorial: St. Elizabeth of Hungary (3 Jn 5-8; Ps 112; Lk 18:1-8) ***************************************************** St. James would declare faith without works is dead. Today the church honors someone who models expressing faith through charity – St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Also known as Elizabeth of Thuringia, she was born in 1207 to […]

Walking in the Truth – St. Margaret of Scotland (2 Jn 4-9; Ps 119; Lk 17:26-37) ********************************************** “To be close to God, be closer to people.” That quote, found in my father’s bible after he passed away, captures the message of the readings for us today – to have faith in Jesus and to love […]

  Living as Joyful, Just and Suffering Saints in the Kingdom of God (Phil 7-20; Ps 146; Lk 17:20-25) ************************************ What do you think? Can joy and suffering co-exist? The readings today invite us to live as joyful, just, suffering saints in the Kingdom of God. In his letter to Philomon, St. Paul refers to […]

Grateful, Relational Praise as Inheritors of Eternal Life (Titus 3:1-7; Ps 23; Lk 17:11-19) ************************************************ Do you have an inheritance? How do you feel about either having one, or not having one? The readings today invite us to be lives of grateful, relational praise as inheritors of eternal life. Some interesting, significant elements emerge from […]

An Attitude of Faithful Gratitude (1 Kg 17:10-16; Psalm 146; Heb 9:24-28; Mk 12:38-44) ************************************************************* Gustavo Gutierrez, noted liberation theologian from Latin America, gave a lecture at Newman Theological College in St. Albert, Alberta, some years ago. At one point, he told his listeners that if they wanted to come to Latin America to help […]