One of Jesus’ final words from the cross reminds us of the absolute necessity of forgiveness for those who claim to follow Him: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” Earlier in the Gospels when He teaches His apostles to pray, He clearly states, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those...
As we begin the season of Lent today, some of us may still be pondering what we should “do” for Lent. While it is true that it is not all about our “doing” but rather our openness to God’s action in our lives, our actions do matter. The heart of the Lenten season is my...
Jesus’ invitation to be “poor in spirit” focuses not on what I give up or do without. Jesus calls me to allow His own life to grow so abundantly within me that there is no room for anything apart from Him. In this way, I reverently live and love as He does. I then come...
When I pray the mysteries of the rosary, I choose where I place the emphasis. Is my focus on me, or is it on God? In the mystery of the Presentation of Our Lord in the temple, I can focus on the Gift brought by Mary and Joseph. They brought Jesus. They brought two pigeons,...
Today’s Gospel (Mark 3: 1-6) shares the story of a man with a withered hand in the temple and Jesus’ desire to heal him. What is it in me that is withered, stale, lifeless? Jesus calls the man to stand in the middle where he is completely vulnerable and exposed to all. This had to...
In today’s gospel from Mark (Mark 1:40-45), a leper approaches Jesus with the statement of faith “If you are willing, you can heal me.” God is always willing to heal and provide us with absolute health and wholeness. The question remains: How willing am I to be healed? Am I willing to set aside my...
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Jesus’ name means “Savior”, and His mission was clearly to save us. In today’s Gospel, John the Baptist clearly states his mission to be preparing the way for Jesus. Each of us received a name and birth and had it affirmed at Baptism. This...
In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites us to do a bit of a “heart checkup”. He states clearly “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” How do we know where our treasure is? We might begin by asking ourselves: How do we spend our time and resources? With whom do we associate...
We repeat the words each Sunday, “I believe in one God… I believe in Jesus Christ…I believe in the Holy Spirit…”. Just what does it mean to believe? To believe in someone or something is to commit to it with all of our being. “The English word “core” comes from cor, the Latin word for...
In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray and gives them the words of the Our Father. What if we really considered the meaning of these words and lived by them? Our Father Loving and compassionate One who nurtures all created life Who art in heaven Remind me that wherever You are is heaven,...
