Most Recent Posts
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Faith and Obedience
Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16, Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22, Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a. Today we honor the faithful foster-father of Jesus. In his homily this morning, Bishop Robert Barron calls St. Joseph “the most powerful heavenly friend we have” after his spouse, Mary. He also…
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Our Vocation to Teach the Word of God
Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent: Deuteronomy 4:1, 5-9, Matthew 5:17-19. Today’s readings show Moses and the new Moses (Christ) discussing God’s law and urging their listeners to not only obey it but teach it to future generations. Jesus’s words occur during the Sermon on the Mount when he shares the Beatitudes, and they…
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Mercy is the Master Principle
Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent: Daniel 3:25, 34-43, Matthew 18:21-35. Today, we read a parable about God’s great mercy and the expectation that we will, in turn, extend that mercy to each other. Mercy, we learn, is the great master principle upon which divine justice is built, and it is an action that…
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A Prophet in his Own Land
Monday in the Third Week of Lent: 2 Kings 5:1-15, Luke 4:24-30. Today’s readings are an excellent example of how the New Testament can help to clarify seemingly incongruous events in the Old Testament. It’s a good reminder of how the fullness of God exists outside of (yet operates within) linear time and history. When…
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If You Knew the Gift!
Third Sunday in Lent: Exodus 17:3-7, Romans 5:1-2, 5-8, John 4:5-42. Today’s readings map the importance of water not just as a lifeforce for our bodies, but as a symbol of the spiritual nourishment provided by God. We are given two seminal scriptural stories: Moses striking the rock at Massah and Meribah to let forth…
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Rejoice for the Pardon of the Prodigal
Saturday in the Second Week of Lent: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. Today we read one of Jesus’s most famous parables, the Parable of the Prodigal Son. There is so much to say about it. The broad strokes: it displays the unflagging love of the father (that is, God the Father) and our ability…
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Tend to the Good Fruit of the Vineyard
Friday in the Second Week of Lent: Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17B-28a, Matthew: 21:33-43, 45-46. Today’s readings are riches in storytelling and spiritual importance. I don’t mean to give short shrift to Joseph and his jealous brothers in Genesis, but I must explore it rather briefly to leave space to plumb the depths of the Parable…
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Beware the Enchantments of the World
Thursday in the Second Week of Lent: Jeremiah 17:5-10, Luke 16:19-31. Today, we hear the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus from the gospel of St. Luke. On its surface, this parable seems to warn us of too much enjoyment in this world because we will pay for it later (in Hell). As we…