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Love can change the world for the better. Hate can’t do that. Why? “Because love is of God.” Jesus does not want us to be his slaves. He says so himself, “I no longer call you slaves.” Instead He calls…
Read MoreStanding or Kneeling Prior to the Second Vatican Council, the normal practice was to receive Communion kneeling at the Communion rail. Now the official practice in the United States is to receive standing. Timothy P. O’Malley writes, “We stand and…
Read More5th Sunday of Easter, Year BActs 9:26-31Psalm 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32 (26a)1 John 3:18-24John 15:1-8April 28, 2024 We read in Acts, “The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace. It was being built up and walked in…
Read MoreOn the Hand or the Tongue? Many of us grew up when the only acceptable way to receive the Body of Christ was on the tongue. Now, we are allowed to receive on the hand. Receiving on the hand was…
Read MoreWe celebrate the 4th Sunday of Easter today. The gospel reading on the 4th Sunday of Easter always come from Jesus’ Good Shepherd discourse in chapter 10 of the Gospel of John. We also celebrate it as the World Day…
Read MoreThere’s No Cup For several centuries, the Precious Blood was not offered to the laity. This was not meant to be an act of exclusion. It was out of reverence for the physical handling of the Precious Blood. In 1984,…
Read MoreOn Saturday I found myself wondering how close we were to seeing full scale war in the Middle East. Beginning last fall I have been writing articles on the application of Just War Theory on the conflict between Israel and…
Read More3rd Sunday of Easter, Year BActs 3:13-15, 17-19Psalm 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9 (7a)1 John 2:1-5aLuke 24:35-48April 14, 2024 Peter spoke to the Jews who had heard that he has healed a crippled beggar. He said to them, “the God of…
Read MoreWhy Can’t Non-Catholics Receive Communion? To understand this practice, we must understand what it means to receive Communion. It is not just bread. It is truly Jesus we receive. We call it “Communion” because we believe that receiving it means…
Read MoreToday I would like to take a look at how our readings on this Divine Mercy Sunday contrast to the way the world looks at life. Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles speaks of how the early church…
Read MoreMortal Sin and Receiving Communion Why does the Catholic Church say that those who are in a state of mortal sin are not to receive Communion? This is rooted in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 11:27-29, Paul speaks of unworthy…
Read MoreWe just celebrated our Easter Triduum. The Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood. It continues with the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ’s death. Yes, we celebrate his death. …
Read MoreEaster SundayActs 10:34a, 37-43Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (24)Colossians 3:1-4John 20:1-9March 31, 2024 It fills my heart with joy to see the crowds at Mass on Easter. What makes today special? What draws people here? Hope! Hope in what? The tomb…
Read MoreEaster Vigil Year AGenesis 1:1-2:2Genesis 22:1-18Exodus 14:15-15:1Isaiah 55:1-11Romans 6:3-11Mark 16:1-7March 30, 2024 Tonight’s liturgy is the highest liturgy of the year. To understand the meaning of tonight’s liturgy, we must understand the symbols and rituals of this most solemn liturgy.…
Read MoreJesus’ death on the Cross was “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). It was a “stumbling block to Jews” because it was not what they expected or wanted. Our first reading from Isaiah today…
Read MoreMass of the Lord’s SupperExodus 12:1-89, 11-14Psalm 116:12-13, 15-16bc, 17-181 Corinthians 11:23-26John 13:1-15March 27, 2024 Paul speaks of what he “received from the Lord” and “handed on to” the Corinthians and others he led to the Catholic faith. He speaks…
Read MoreDo You Realize What You Are Eating? Now, we come to the point in Mass where we receive Communion. Every time we receive Communion, we need to be thinking about what we are consuming. It is not just bread and…
Read MoreAs I said in my reflection on Sunday, Pilate, as the local government official, allowed Jesus to be crucified “to satisfy the crowd.” He offered to release Jesus as it was his custom to release one prisoner on this feast. …
Read MoreToday we celebrate Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, more simply known to many as “Palm Sunday.” We hear two gospels today. We begin Mass with the blessing of palms and a gospel recalling Jesus’ final entry into…
Read MoreI am Not Worthy to Receive You Following the Sign of Peace, we come to the Lamb of God. The words said by the priest, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world,”…
Read MoreDo you ever feel like people aren’t really listening to what you have to say? You try to present your perspective but you feel you either they weren’t listening or you must have not explained it well. We might do…
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