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In our opening prayer at Mass today (Monday, January 18th, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time), we pray asking God to bestow his “peace on our times.” We live in a world with division and hatred. Today we celebrate the Martin…
Read More2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19Psalm 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10 (8a and 9a)1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20John 1:35-42January 17, 2021 Jesus asked the two disciples of John the Baptist, “What are you looking for?” Jesus asks…
Read MoreOn Tuesday I wrote an article called “Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue.” The material covered in that article spoke about the meaning of tolerance and the restrictions people want to put on our church in general, but especially on us…
Read MoreLast night we started our new series, Treating Life with Dignity and Love. The video and slides are now available at www.renewaloffaith.org/prolife1. Registration is now open for the second part of this series where we will discuss abortion and the…
Read More“Tolerance” has become a frequently used word. We do well to ask ourselves what does it mean to “tolerate.” Why? Because I think it is being used beyond its actual meaning. It seems to me that it is being used…
Read MoreThe Baptism of the LordIsaiah 55:1-11Isaiah 12:2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 (3)1 John 5:1-9Mark 1:7-11January 10, 2021 Our Christmas season will end this evening following our celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our…
Read MoreIs Heaven a crowded place? I ask the question with mixed feelings. I am an introvert and do not like crowded places. On the other hand, as a Christian and knowing how great a place Heaven is, I desire that…
Read MoreOften when we celebrate the memorials of saints it is a person who lived centuries ago and/or in Europe or Asia. This week we break this pattern with three consecutive days venerating North American saints who lived in the last…
Read MoreThe Epiphany of the LordIsaiah 60:1-6Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-11, 12-13 (11)Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6Matthew 2:1-12January 3, 2021 On Christmas we heard the angel deliver “good news of great joy” to the shepherds, “For today in the city of David a savior…
Read MoreToday is January 1st. That means we begin a new year. It is now 2021! That means 2020 is over! 2020 is a year we might wish we could forget but probably never will. The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the…
Read MoreOn November 29th, we began a new year in the church with the First Sunday of Advent. In my homily that day, I spoke of people making new year’s resolutions for the secular new year on January 1st and how…
Read MoreThe Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, Year B (Please note there are different options for the readings)Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3Psalm 105:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 (7a, 8a)Hebrews 11:8, 11-12, 17-19Luke 2:22-40December 27, 2020 On Christmas Day Jesus was born in…
Read MoreChristmas Mass During the NightIsaiah 9:1-6Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 11-12, 13 (Luke 2:11)Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-14December 25, 2020 Today we hear “good news of great joy.” After a difficult 2020, we need to hear some good news. The good news offered by…
Read MoreAs I write this we are just a couple of days from Christmas. Christmas this year will be different because of the Coronavirus. However, no matter how different your celebration is, it will still be Christmas, the celebration of the…
Read MoreFor those of you who are regular readers of my blog, you are used to learning of the presentations I do and being provided a link to view the video of the presentation and handouts after the presentation is given.…
Read MoreIn our Catholic faith, we have two formal creeds, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. However, having two creeds does not mean we profess two different faiths. The two creeds are very similar in their content (you can see…
Read More3rd Sunday of Advent, Year BIsaiah 61:1-2a, 10-11Responsorial – Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54 (Isaiah 61:10b)1 Thessalonians 5:16-24John 1:6-8, 19-28December 13, 2020 The time for the long-awaited messiah is near. To prepare the way of the Lord, “John was sent from…
Read MoreRecently a friend suggested I write an article about Advent here. Honestly, my first reaction was to think I talk about Advent regularly in my Sunday homilies that are posted on this blog. (You can find them at https://blog.renewaloffaith.org/?cat=223.) You…
Read MoreThe Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin MaryGenesis 3:9-15, 20Psalm 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4 (1a)Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12Luke 1:26-38December 8, 2020 God is the creator of the world, the “maker of heaven and earth.” What God created is good. God created in…
Read MoreMy recent blog articles on forgiveness as well as my article, “Remembering the Past and Building a Better Future,” have led to discussions with people on the subject of accountability. The question at hand is “does forgiving someone mean they…
Read MoreAdvent Holy Hour 2020 with Vespers (Evening Prayer II)2nd Sunday of AdventRomans 8:18-27December 6, 2020 Our reading from Romans begins with Paul speaking of “the sufferings of this present time.” How has your year been? In what ways have you…
Read More2nd Sunday of Advent, Year BIsaiah 40:1-5, 9-11Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14 (8)2 Peter 3:8-14Mark 1:1-8December 6, 2020 Scholars divide the Book of the Prophet Isaiah into three sections. Today’s reading from chapter 40 begins the second section. God “speaks tenderly”…
Read MoreWe are called to pray. Jesus spent time in prayer. If Jesus prayed, then all the more we need to. When you read the word “prayer”, what comes to mind? Is the Rosary the first thing that comes to mind?…
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