Chosen to Live an Iconic Ideal (Ezk 16:1-15,60,63; Is 12; Mt 19:3-12) ******************************************* A wanderer visiting Bro. Anthony noticed a beautiful manuscript in his cell. He stole it and took it to a book vendor to sell it. The vendor replied he would have to have it evaluated. Knowing only Bro. Anthony would know the […]

The Power of Forgiveness and The Power to Forgive (Ezk 12:1-16;Ps 78; Mt 18:21-19:1) *************************************************** Robert, who had a few drinks at a business event, accidently struck and injured a young girl as he was driving through an intersection. Technically it was not his fault, as the girl stepped out from behind a car in […]

Learning to Listen – Lavishing Praise (Ezk 1:2-5,24-28; Ps 148; Mt 17:22-27) ********************************** Have you ever heard God speak to you? Was your response one of praise? Today’s liturgy invites us to hone our ability to listen to God’s voice, and to respond by singing God’s praises. The truth is God is speaking to us […]

Transformative Faith (1 Kg 19:4-8; PS 34; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 6:41-51) ************************************************ Have you ever heard the statement, “Some people are reacting against a God they have been taught wrongly about?” Faith in Jesus can transform our lives and lead us to experience God. Thomas Keating, renowned monk and spiritual writer, claims we have it […]

Faith like a Mustard Seed – Memorial: St Clare (Hab 1:12-2:4; Ps 9; Mt 17:14-20) ********************************************** To a non-swimmer, it seems incredible that a human body could float on water. Bodies are too heavy! When one stops to think of it, it seems incredible that a 747 Jet plane loaded with passengers and luggage can […]

Feast of St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr (2 Cor 9:6-10; Ps 112; Jn 12:24-26) ********************************************** Have you ever participated in a triathelon? Today’s gospel challenges us to do just that – participate in a spiritual triathelon of three activities: be a grain of wheat that dies, lose our life to find it, and follow Jesus […]

Covenant Love – St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51; Mt 16:13-23) ********************************************* Yearning for intimacy is one thing God and humans have in common. For God, that was always expressed through covenant relationships. The liturgy today invites us into an ever-developing covenant relationship with Jesus that involves following him into even […]

Persistent Faith – Memorial: St. Dominic (Jer 31:1-7; Jer 31:10-13; Mt 15:21-28) ******************************************* There is a very significant faith process at work in the readings today. First, we have the familiar pattern of God’s unconditional and faithful love in the face of Israel’s infidelity. Jeremiah presents God’s promise to ransom and restore the remnant of […]

Trust, Fidelity and Praise (Jer 30:1-22; Ps 102; Mt 14:22-36) ****************************************** Three words – trust, fidelity and praise – capture the essence of today’s liturgy. In the first reading, God comes across as a rejected lover who uses Semitic hyperbole to communicate the depth of his hurt and disappointment in God’s beloved, unfaithful Israel. God […]

Being Attentive to the Mystery (Dan 7:9-10/2 Pt 1:16-19, 13-14; Ps 97; Mt 17:1-9) ********************************************** “You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” Those words from St. Peter, a witness to the transfiguration, invite us to ponder this mystery and let this feast strengthen our […]