Staying Rooted in Jesus Christ (Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary) (Col 2:6-16; Ps 145; Lk 6:12-19) ************************************************************ One of the many scenes of destruction that was portrayed on television during the wrath of Hurricane Irma recently was that of a homeowner watching and videoing the uprooting of a huge tree in her […]

Mining the Great Mystery – Christ in Us (Col 1:24-2:3; Ps 62; Lk 6:6-11) ***************************************** Recently I saw a wonderful movie on mining, hydro-electric development and the environment entitled “Konelïne,” directed by Nettie Wild who took an artistic neutral stance on these issues.  As a 25th anniversary of priesthood initiative in 1994, I wrote a […]

Love as Fraternal Correction, Forgiveness and Worship (Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95; Romans 13:8-10; Mt 18:15-20) ************************************************************* How would you summarize the bible in one sentence? The answer by St. Paul in the second reading is very simple, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” It is clear that our number one priority must be to […]

Secure in Faith, Reaching Out in Love (Col 1:21-23; Ps 54; Lk 6:1-5) ********************************************** Have you seen the movie, March of the Penguins? If not, I would encourage you to do so. That movie, along with the readings today, encourage us to be secure in faith and reach out in love. In that charming and […]

Trust and Transformation (Rm 8:28-30; Ps 13; Mt 1:1-23) ************************************* Have you had to make a difficult decision lately and felt very alone? Have you ever wondered where was God in a particular painful situation? The readings on this feast of the Nativity of Mary invite us to trust in how God is working in […]

Our Life in Christ (Col 1:9-14; Ps 98; Lk 5:1-11) ********************************* “Since we heard of your life in Christ.” Has anyone ever said that to you? Those words of St. Paul to the Colossians in the first reading today are a strong reminder to us that we are privileged to be “living in Christ.” But […]

Faithful Ministers of Christ (Col 1:1-8; Ps 52; Lk 4:38-44) ******************************** Have you ever thought of taking Epaphras as your model for a life of faith? In the first reading, St. Paul holds him up as a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ. That means that we are invited to also be a […]

Genuine Faith and Hope versus Unbelief and Religious Rage (1 Thess 4:13-18; Ps 96; Lk 4:16-30) ************************************************************* One of the more negative traits of our modern society is road rage that often becomes violent and at times even deadly. In the gospel today, Jesus runs into religious rage that was almost fatal for him. What […]

Passivity and the Cross (Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27) ********************************************************** “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him take up his cross and follow me.” What a strange invitation from someone who is looking for followers. Certainly, it is not coming from someone who wants to be popular. Yet […]

Just Love (1 Th 4:9-11; Ps 98; Mt 25:14-30) ************************************* A customer placed an exquisite greeting card on the store counter and reached for his wallet. Pushing the keys on the cash register, the clerk said, “That will be $4 please.”  “$4,” the man reacted, “Forget it.” He jammed his wallet back into his pocket […]