Sunday Reflections

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 11/19/2023

Psalm 128 begins, “Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.” Today’s gospel speaks of the third servant who acts out of fear of his Lord. Are these two passages in conflict? The psalm speaks of…

Read More

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 10/22/2023

The number of Christian disciples in many parts of the world is shrinking. Fewer people identify as Christians. Some because they formally reject God while others have not been taught that God exists and loves them. Add to this the…

Read More

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 10/08/2023

In our first reading today Isaiah writes of his friend who “had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; he spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; within it he built a watchtower, and hew out a…

Read More

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 09/24/2023

In today’s parable Jesus talks about “how much” the landowner pays his servants. As the sun rises he “went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.” He agreed to pay the “usual daily wage.” All is as it…

Read More

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 09/10/2023

In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” In the Act of Contrition we “firmly resolve to sin no more and to avoid whatever leads us to sin.” Avoiding temptation is not…

Read More

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 08/27/2023

God is the ultimate source of authority. During the days of Isaiah in our first reading, Shebna had been authority as “master of the palace.” He did not use his authority well, He became prideful and brought shame to the…

Read More

19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 08/13/2023

After Jesus had multiplied the loaves and fed the vast crowd, He “made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side.” So begins today’s gospel. As He made his disciples leave in the boat, He…

Read More

Why Did Jesus Take Peter, James, and John With Him?

By Fr. Jeff | 08/06/2023

Today’s gospel begins, “Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Why did He take them with him? He knew what was going to happen and He wanted them to see…

Read More

Do We See What God Offers as a Treasure?

By Fr. Jeff | 07/30/2023

In today’s gospel Jesus continues to teach in parables. The first two parables speak of something so valuable that one would be willing to sell everything that one has to obtain the treasure that is offered. Jesus says the Kingdom…

Read More

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 07/09/2023

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 More

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 07/02/2023

Elisha spent much time travelling to deliver God’s message as his prophet. Today, we hear of the woman who urged him to dine at her house. She knew that Elisha was “a holy man of God.” She was already “a…

Read More

We Are His People

By Fr. Jeff | 06/18/2023

God 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 More

Three Yet One

By Fr. Jeff | 06/04/2023

This Sunday we celebrate The Most Holy Trinity. In today’s second reading, Paul concludes his Second Letter to the Corinthians invoking the Trinity as he writes, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the…

Read More

The Time Between

By Fr. Jeff | 05/21/2023

“After Jesus had been taken up to heaven the apostles returned to Jerusalem.” There, “they went to the upper room” (first reading for this 7th Sunday of Easter) The upper room is where they had gathered with Jesus after his…

Read More

A Reason For Your Hope

By Fr. Jeff | 05/14/2023

There is suffering in the world. We wish there wasn’t. We pray for an end to all suffering. We need to seek to do our part to alleviate suffering. Yet, we know the reality is that there is suffering. It…

Read More

God’s Call

By Fr. Jeff | 04/30/2023

Our first reading today begins with Peter standing up with the Eleven. All of the Eleven were called to be Apostles. As God’s calling, this was their vocation in life. Peter is called to be the first among the Apostles.…

Read More

I am the Resurrection and the Life

By Fr. Jeff | 03/26/2023

In the midst of the Babylonian Exile God offers Ezekiel a vision that points to the Resurrection and new life (first reading – read all of chapter 37 for the whole story). The Lord promises that He will open our…

Read More

From Darkness to Light

By Fr. Jeff | 03/19/2023

In today’s gospel we hear the story of the man who was born blind. In those days, serious illnesses like blindness were seen as punishment for sin. So, seeing the man who was been blind from birth, Jesus’ disciples ask…

Read More

Do We Give Control to God?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/05/2023

Our first reading today comes from Genesis 12 where the story of Abram, who God would later rename “Abraham.” Before this passage, the only mention of Abraham is his genealogy presented in Genesis 11:10-32. These four verses in today’s first…

Read More

The Cunning Serpent

By Fr. Jeff | 02/26/2023

“The LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life.“ These are the words that begin our first reading today. God created humanity. The first part of this verse…

Read More

Living What Jesus Teaches

By Fr. Jeff | 02/12/2023

Our 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 More

Being the Person That God Calls Us to Be

By Fr. Jeff | 01/29/2023

Our 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 More

The Call to Discipleship

By Fr. Jeff | 01/15/2023

Our 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 More

Beginning a New Year With Blessings

By Fr. Jeff | 01/01/2023

Christmas, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ is far too important to celebrate with a single day. We celebrate Christmas for a season that lasts until the Baptism of the Lord (which falls on Monday, January 9th this year).…

Read More

A Great Sign

By Fr. Jeff | 12/18/2022

In our first reading today (4th Sunday of Advent Year A), the Lord offers a sign to King Ahaz. He tells Ahaz, “let it be deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!” Ahaz can ask for any sign,…

Read More

Archives