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I just uploaded the recording of the second webinar in my new series on prayer, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray. You can view the view and see the slides at www.renewaloffaith.org/prayer2021partII. This presentation focuses on Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and…
Read MoreI find myself having gone a week without posting an article here (except for the normal reflection on the Sunday readings). I haven’t written for two reasons. First, I find myself without definitive thoughts to write about. Sometimes an idea…
Read MoreOur liturgical year in the church is drawing to a close. In two weeks we will begin a new year with the First Sunday of Advent. As we draw this year to a close, our readings turn to the end…
Read MoreOur gospel reading and the first reading for this 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) speak of God’s commandments. We think in terms of 10 commandments. The Jews list 613 commandments with the 10 being the most important and…
Read MoreI just uploaded the recording of the first webinar in my new series on prayer, Giving Our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray. You can view the view and see the slides at www.renewaloffaith.org/prayer2021partI. Here’s a description for…
Read MoreIf you are reading this blog article, it would seem likely that your faith means something to you. It likely means faith is more for you than just going to church on Sunday for one hour. The time spent at…
Read More30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BJeremiah 31:7-9Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (3)Hebrews 5:1-6Mark 10:46-52October 24, 2021 As Jesus leaves Jericho, “Bartimaeus, a blind man,” is sitting by the roadside begging. When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is there,…
Read MoreIn previous articles like, “What’s in the News,” I have written about why I think it is important to follow the news. Watching the news we typically hear more discouraging news than uplifting news. Recently, I have begun trying to…
Read MoreToday’s first reading comes from the fourth of four passages in the Book of Isaiah that speak of a “suffering servant.” People see suffering as something terrible and to be avoided. However, in the first reading, regarding the suffering servant,…
Read MoreIn today’s gospel Jesus speaks of “generations.” We use the word “generation” to signify the changing of stages. Most often we use it in the sense of biological generations. When parents have children, the children began a new generation. Grandchildren…
Read MoreEach year during the month of October the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life month. Life is always precious from the moment of conception till natural death. We need to respect life and promote the dignity of…
Read MoreIn the gospel for today (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B), the Pharisees asked Jesus a question. They asked this question to test him. They were looking for a way to prove He was not the Messiah. While their…
Read MoreIn my last blog article, “In Struggles We Find Hope,” I reflected on my recent reading of St. Joseph and His World by Mike Aquilina (New York: Scepter Publishers. 2020). Continuing on the theme of the Year of St. Joseph called for…
Read MoreI recently read St. Joseph and His World by Mike Aquilina (New York: Scepter Publishers. 2020). I purchased this to read with the Year of St. Joseph called for by Pope Francis (Dec. 2020-December 2021) in mind. As indicated by…
Read More26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year BNumbers 11:25-29Psalm 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14 (9a)James 5:1-6Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 Jesus’ words today may seem shocking. “If you hand causes you to sin, cut it off…And if your foot causes you to sin,…
Read MoreFinally, I have the details for my next series of presentations! It will be a series on prayer called, Giving our Hearts to God: What It Means to Pray. Now, I don’t profess to be an expert on prayer. In…
Read MoreIn today’s first reading we hear, “Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us; he sets himself against our doings, reproaches us for transgressions of the law and charges us with violations of our training.” This…
Read MoreWe need to ask ourselves what is most important. Lots of things have importance but what is most important? We need things. We need food, clothing, and shelter to feed our physical bodies. To have these things we need money.…
Read MoreIn today’s reading for the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B we hear three different ways of thinking about discipleship. The first comes from the third of four servant servant oracles in the Book of Isaiah. The suffering servant…
Read MoreIf it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. I am referring to our celebration of the Mass. It is certainly worth doing! The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic faith (Lumen Gentium, 11). We know…
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