Nativity of St. John the Baptist Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-6Acts 13:22-26Luke 1:57-66, 80 Reflection: “John is his name.” Today, we remember the birth of St John the Baptist. Admittedly, the Scriptures present him as rather threatening, but his name in Hebrew…
Scripture: Job 38:1, 8-112 Corinthians 5:14-17Mark 4:35-41 Reflection: In our Gospel reading for Sunday (Mark 4:35-41), Jesus is with His disciples in a boat. A “violent squall” comes up, and the waves are crashing over the boat, filling it up.…
Scripture: 2 Chronicles 24:17-25Matthew 6:24-34 Reflection: “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” -Matthew 6:34 Most of us live anxious lives. We seem to thrive on anxiety. We…
Scripture: 2 Kings 11:1-4,9-18, 20Matthew 6:19-23 Reflection: For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. -Matthew 6:23 I don’t have a lot of money or as we term it treasure, and I feel I am in good…
Scripture: Sirach 48:1-14Matthew 6:7-15 Reflection: The readings for today offer us quite a contrast. The first reading from the Book of Sirach we are presented with the fiery prophet Elijah and his impact on Israel while the Gospel reading offers…
Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1, 6-14Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Reflection: At one time during the First World War a young British Army surgeon was accompanying his senior officer-surgeon around the wards of the wounded soldiers. They had completed the wards housing the…
Scripture: 1 Kings 21:17-29 Matthew 5:43-48 Reflection: Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those…
Scripture: 1 Kings 21:1-16Matthew 5:38-42 Reflection: The gospels operate by a different logic, a startlingly different understanding of what makes sense, and nowhere is this more vividly displayed than in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from which today’s gospel is…
Scripture: Ezekiel 17:22-242 Corinthians 5:6-10Mark 4:26-34 Reflection: In our Gospel reding for this Sunday (Mark 4:26-34), Jesus tells two parables about the kingdom of heaven. I would like to start with the second parable first. In that parable, Jesus likens…
Scripture: 1 Kings 19:19-21Matthew 5:33-37 Reflection: Sometimes the Lord surprises us with just the kind of push we need once in a while! And not all of us like surprises either! Samuel was in the cave and the Lord called…