Scripture: Ezra 9:5-9Luke 9:1-6 Reflection: Our readings today give us a great summary of discipleship and what it means to be church. In our first reading Ezra is overcome with the guilt of his people, and acknowledges that guilt before…
Scripture: Ezra 6:7-8, 12b, 14—20Luke 8:19-21 Reflection: My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. Luke 8:21 Jesus praises his mother for “hearing and doing the word”. In the original Greek text,…
Scripture: Ezra 1:1-6Luke 8:16-18 Reflection: There’s an old song entitled “God Bless the Child.” I think it was first recorded by Billie Holiday and later by Blood, Sweat and Tears, among many others. I sometimes think of the lyrics when…
Scripture: Isaiah 55:6-9Philippians 1:20c-24, 27aMatthew 20:1-16a Reflection: Kindness of God In today’s Gospel a kind owner of a vineyard gives workers a full day’s wage to people who only worked an hour! In New Testament times, wages were given one…
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:13-16Luke 8:4-15 Reflection: In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable about a sower who goes out to sow his seed. The seed falls in different places with different results. Later on, Jesus explains the parable to…
Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:2c-12Luke 8:13 Reflection: I recall once watching a short documentary on gender differences. A producer had spent hours and hours filming children playing and in the course of this he dutifully recorded a group of boys chasing…
Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13Matthew 9: 9-13 Reflection: He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. -Matthew 9:9 The Calling of Saint Matthew is a painting completed in 1599-1600 by the famous Italian…
Memorial of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn and Companions Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:14-16Luke 7:31-35 Reflection: Today we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn and Companions. For many of us St. Andrew is a “new” saint, canonized by Pope Paul…
Scripture: 1 Timothy 3:1-13Luke 7:11-17 Reflection: So often in the gospels, Jesus finds himself smack in the middle of somebody’s pain, somebody’s sorrow and loss. That is certainly true in the poignant, heart-wrenching story we hear today. In great detail,…
Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-8Luke 7:1-10 Reflection: …For I am not worthy to have your enter under my roof…but say the word and my [servant] will be healed. These are familiar words, said every time we celebrate a Eucharistic Liturgy. When…