Forgiven, Healed, Merciful – St. Maria Goretti (Amos 8:4-6, 9-12; Ps 119; Mt 9:9-13) ********************************************** “No one lives by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” and “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” These two sentences from the readings today frame a powerful message for us centered on Matthew: Listen […]

Faith, Identity, Transformation and Mission: Feast of St. Thomas (Eph 2:19-22; Ps 117; Jn 20:24-29) *********************************************************** A trip to Chenai, India, would not be complete without a visit to the tomb where tradition tells us St. Thomas is buried, after evangelizing and laying the foundations of the church in India. This feast in his memory […]

On Being Wounded Healers (Wis 1:13-15, 2:23-24; 2 Cor 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43) **************************************************** Have you ever seen the movie “Elephant Man?” That movie is a vignette of the gospel story we heard today and carries a powerful message. Place your complete faith in Jesus; come to him for forgiveness and healing and become […]

Faith, Fidelity and Fraternal Correction (Lam 2:2-19; Ps 74; Mt 8:5-17) *********************************** Four words – Faith, Fidelity and Fraternal Correction, capture the message of today’s liturgy. We are invited to place our complete trust in the Father and Jesus, be faithful to the Word of God, and ready to correct anyone we see is straying […]

Apostles of Forgiveness and Evangelization (Acts 12:1-11; Ps 34; 2 Tim 4:6-8;17-18; Mt 16:13-19) *************************************************** Today’s solemnity invites us to reflect on two foundational figures of the early Church, to be inspired by them and to learn from them. St. Peter and St. Paul met only a few times. Their relationship was sometimes rocky, due […]

Building a Solid House of Discipleship – Memorial: St. Irenaeus    (2 Kg 24:8-17; Ps 79; Mt 7:21-19) ******************************************************** How many of us have construction experience? Today, Jesus once again speaks in metaphors to get his point across. He asks us to build a house. The house we are asked to build is the house of […]

Covenant Love (2 Kg 22.8-13; 23:1-3; Ps119; Mt 7:15-20) ***************************************** A couple reminded me I had married them 36 years earlier and shared all was going well with their marriage covenant. This stirred up in me pleasant memories of the emotions connected with that event. There is something about a marital commitment or covenant that […]

Befriending our Shadow and Not Judging (2 Kg 17:5-8; 13-15, 18; Ps 60; Mt 7:1-5) ********************************************** Two illiterate woodsmen, Bob and Pat, who were unable to read or write, would sign their names with an “X” when required. One day they decided to go to the big city for a break. Once there, they thought […]

Marriage Encounter and the Reign of God (2 Chron 24:17-25; Ps 89; Mt 6:24-34) ************************************************ Human beings have a rather unique characteristic – a desire to build a better mousetrap. The birds Jesus mentions in the gospel build their nests the same way year after year. Human beings, on the other hand, never seem to […]

Priority and Perception (2 Kg 11:1-4, 9-18, 20; Ps 132; Mt 6:19-23) ********************************************* Two words summarize the gospel today: priority and perspective. The two sentences expressing these two words are: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” and “The eye is the lamp of the body.” Basically, we are to make faith […]