Feast of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church Scripture: Ezekiel 28:1-10Matthew 19:23-30 Reflection: Among the many gifts that I’ve cherished over the years, are stories of the truly remarkable people who have given their lives to witness to…
Scripture: Ezekiel 24:15-24Matthew 19:16-22 Reflection: Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The encounter of Jesus…
Scripture: Proverbs 9:1-6Ephesians 5:15-20John 6:51-58 Reflection: “The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”John 6:52 The readings for today’s Mass invite us to eat and drink nourishments that give us wisdom and…
Scriptures: Ezekiel 18:1-10, 13b, 30-32Matthew 19:13-15 Reflection: What we do with our lives really does matter. How we live each day truly is of ultimate significance, because the cumulative effect of our daily behavior will reveal whether we chose the…
Scripture: Ezekiel 16:1-15, 60, 63Matthew 19:3-12 Reflection: The beautiful words of God’s care and love reverberate in these passages. We can even hearken back to Hosea 11 and Jeremiah 29 as further examples. The Lord knows His plans for us;…
Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary Scripture: Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab1 Corinthians 15:20-27Luke 1:39-56 Reflection: Today we celebrate one of the most special feasts of our Blessed Mother, the feast of the Assumption. This was declared to be a universal…
Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe Scripture: Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22Matthew 18:15-20 Reflection: Saint Maximilian Kolbe: A Beacon of Sacrifice and Heroism Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a twentieth-century Polish Franciscan priest and martyr canonized by Pope John Paul II, holds a special place…
Scripture: Ezekiel 2:8-3:4Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 Reflection: Ezekiel was a priest of the Temple in Jerusalem when he was called by God to warn the people of immanent destruction. If the people did not return to fidelity to God, the…
Scripture: Ezekiel 1:2-5, 24-28cMatthew 17:22-27 Reflection: In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus makes the first prediction of his coming passion and death late in Chapter 16. This prediction bewilders, confuses and frustrates his disciples resulting in the occasion in which Peter took…
Scripture: 1 Kings 19:4-8Ephesians 4:30-5:2John 6:41-51 Reflection: The Jews mumbled about Jesus because he said, ‘I am the bread of life that came down from heaven.’ To understand today’s gospel, part of the Bread of Life discourse, we must hear…