Scripture: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12Romans 8:28-30Matthew 13:44-52 Reflection: These parables lead me to one obvious conclusion – the abundance and beauty of heaven! He goes and sells all that he has and buys it: isn’t this the ultimate sacrifice to…
Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus Scripture: 1 John 4:7-16John 11:19-27 Reflection: “God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him.” The first reading for today describes the love that connects…
Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17Matthew 13:18-23 Reflection: Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance. Today marks my parents 84th wedding anniversary! Their life together as man and wife began on July…
Scripture: Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20bMatthew 13:10-17 Reflection: When I read this passage from Matthew, I think of what I have always remembered about the way Christ speaks to us. He will speak to us in ways we will understand. And…
Memorial of Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary Scripture: Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15Matthew 13:1-9 Reflection: The Lord gave them bread from heaven. This is the psalm refrain in today’s Liturgy of the Word. Besides being a food…
Feast of Saint James, Apostle Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15Matthew 20:20-28 Reflection: Today’s Gospel for the Feast of St. James could be added to the listing of passages where Jesus gives a new meaning to words and concepts. For example, when…
Scripture: Exodus 14:5-18Matthew 12:38-42 Reflection: “The Lord strengthened (Hebrew hazaq) the heart of Pharaoh.” EX 15:8 Exodus mentions 15 times that God made Pharaoh’s heart firm hazaq) against letting His people go in today’s first reading! The Old Testament refers…
Scripture: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19Romans 8:26-27Matthew 13:24-43 Reflection: Wheat Out of Weeds In Our Gospel reading Jesus tells the Parable of the Weeds and the Wheat. In the parable, the enemy of a landowner sows weeds among the landowner’s wheat. When…
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene Scripture: Song of Songs 3:1-4b or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17John 20: 1-2, 11-18 Reflection: While all the gospels tell of finding Christ’s tomb empty on the day after the Sabbath, it is John who fills in…
Scripture: Exodus 11:10-12:14Matthew 12:1-8 Reflection: When I was a child, learning the ten commandments, I was taught the third commandment as “Keep Holy the Sabbath Day. That meant going to mass on Sunday and refraining from unnecessary servile work. The…