Discipleship
In the time of our first reading today the Israelites were under foreign rule. Israel had been a great nation but had been defeated by their enemies. They were saddened in this situation. Through the prophet Zechariah the Lord tells…
Read More12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AJeremiah 20:10-13Psalm 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 (14c)Romans 5:12-15Matthew 10:26-33June 25, 2023 Jeremiah faced danger. He heard “the whisperings of many” who sought to “denounce him.” Why did they want to denounce him? Because he…
Read MoreGod did not simply free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and walk away. Rather, He chose to establish a covenant with them (see today’s first reading). In doing so, He formed a relationship with them. It was not a…
Read MoreYou might be surprised by the title of this article, “The Importance of Hell.” Is Hell important? It is important for us to know that Hell exist and that people can actually end up there. Now, while our Catholic Church…
Read MoreLast week I began my reflection on The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric Sammons (El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. 2017) with my article “Discipleship Necessitates Evangelization.” In that article, I presented Sammons’ discussion…
Read MoreI recently read The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric Sammons (El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers Press. 2017). When I saw the title, I ordered it based on my continuing desire to evangelize. As…
Read MoreLast Friday I read a news article, “Shooting at funeral home in Ecuador leaves four dead,” (by Diego Lopez Marina, Catholic News Agency, 5/19/23. Available online at https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/254364/shooting-at-funeral-home-in-ecuador-leaves-four-dead). It is not the first time I have heard of a shooting…
Read More5th Sunday of Easter, Year AActs 6:1-7Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19 (22)1 Peter 2:4-9John 14:1-12May 7, 2023 The first half of today’s gospel reading is probably the gospel reading most selected at funerals. It makes sense. Jesus tells us, “Do not…
Read MoreHave you ever not gone to something and wondered if anyone noticed you weren’t there? Maybe you were sick or stuck at work. No one calls to see if you are okay. You wonder if they even noticed you weren’t…
Read More3rd Sunday of Easter, Year AActs 2:14, 22-33Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 (11a)1 Peter 1:17-21Luke 24:13-35April 23, 2023 When Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times. The other disciples fled. Now, Peter stands up and proclaims Jesus. He…
Read MoreAt the risk of sounding like a broken record, I would like to talk about something I have spoken about before. Why do we go to Mass? I write this in the midst of Holy Week. In the events we…
Read More3rd Sunday of Lent, Year AExodus 17:3-7Psalm 95:1-2, 607, 8-9 (8)Romans 5:1-2, 5-8John 4:5-42March 12, 2023 Jesus is making his way through Samaria. “Tired from his journey,” He pauses to rest at the well. While He is sitting at the…
Read MoreI recently wrote “More on Fortune Telling and Reiki in the Bible”, followed by an article on “Crystals, Exorcisms, and New Age.” Today, I would like to complete what I began to say about New Age spirituality and conclude with…
Read More7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year ALeviticus 19:1-2, 17-18Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13 (8a)1 Corinthians 3:16-23February 19, 2023 Today is our last Sunday before we begin Lent. The readings are picked for Ordinary Time but they give us some…
Read MoreLast week I wrote an article, “More on Fortune Telling and Reiki in the Bible”, as a direct follow-up to comments I made about fortune telling and Reiki in my homily on the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Today I…
Read MoreOur first reading from Sirach speaks of the choice we have. It is our choice whether to follow God’s commandments or not. God gives us free will to make our choice. However, we must realize our choices have consequences. If…
Read MoreTwo weeks ago, in my homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, I spoke about the relevancy of the Bible today. It was the Sunday of the Word of God and I used Deuteronomy 18:10-12a as an…
Read More5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AIsaiah 58:7-10Psalm 112:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (4a)1 Corinthians 2:1-5February 5, 2023 Last week we heard the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s gospel. We will continue to hear from Jesus’ Sermon each…
Read MoreLast week I wrote about how our lives can be superficial (“We Need to Look Into Our Hearts”). Today I would like to talk about how being superficial relates to problems in the world today. It starts with the question…
Read MoreOur readings today begin with the prophet Zephaniah calling us to “Seek the LORD.” God did not create us and walk away. God wants to be part of our lives everyday. We are called to humble ourselves to follow him.…
Read MoreAre we living lives that are superficial? Do we have relationships that have depth to them or do we keep everyone at a distance, even those we “communicate” with a lot? What do I mean by superficial? When we greet…
Read MoreThis is the tenth and final article in my series based on my reading of the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales. Written 400 years ago, it is available in various translations. I am reading the 2015 version…
Read MoreOur Christmas season has ended. We have entered Ordinary Time. There can be a tendency from the term “ordinary” to think of it as a time to lay back and relax. One might think that nothing special is going on.…
Read MoreThis is the ninth article in my series based on my reading of the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales. Written 400 years ago, it is available in various translations. I am reading the 2015 version published by…
Read MoreThis is the eighth article in my series based on my reading of the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis De Sales. Written 400 years ago, it is available in various translations. I am reading the 2015 version published by…
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