St. Matthew – Pray for us! – Jesus sees Matthew as someone who is despised, unaccepted, and an outcast and he reaches out to him contrary to public opinion. On the other hand, Matthew sees Jesus embodying the kinds of values he cherished deep within. Tax collecting was only a job, and he was willing …
Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon and Paul Chong Ha-sang – Pray for us! – Just as a sower places seed in the ground to grow plants, so a lamp is lit that it may give light in the room. The gospel is preached that it may have effect in the lives of Christians. No one puts …
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time – According to Jesus discipleship is a way of powerlessness. God is not interested in how much power we have. God is interested in how we powerlessly do God’s will by serving each other. Jesus makes it very clear when he teaches that anyone who wants to be first has …
Why is it that some people fail to perceive and understand the parables? It really is more a matter of moral stance rather than intellectual capacity. People understand what God desires, but they do not wish to act on that understanding. When people cling to themselves and their own interests, God cannot penetrate their lives.
St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Hildegard of Bingen – Pray for us! – It is amazing to find Mary Magdalene with the dark past and Joanna, the lady of the Court, in the same company. It is one of the supreme achievements of Jesus that He can enable the most diverse people to live together without …
Saints Cornelius and Cyprian – Pray for us! – Notice in the gospels that Jesus is never upset with sinners; he’s only upset with people who don’t think they are sinners. My friends let us be humble in admitting our sinfulness while always being aware of God’s loving mercy and forgiveness. As Jesus said: “I …
Our Lady of Sorrows – Pray for us! – On this feast of our Mother of Sorrows we reflect on our relationship with Mary who has been given to us as our Mother. She was faithful to her Son and her God all the way to the foot of the cross. As our spiritual Mother …
Exaltation of the Holy Cross – What does the cross mean to us and how readily do we accept all that it represents? We know what the mention of the cross did to Peter. It frightened him so much that he tried to talk Jesus out of it. When we look upon the cross of …
St. John Chrysostom – Pray for us! – This centurion was a man of faith. If his authority produced results how much more must that of Jesus. What about our faith? Here is a soldier from a proud culture requesting a favor from an itinerant preacher. He put himself beyond the comfortable and the customary. …
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time – The cross needs to be at the center of our lives. It is constant reminder of God’s love for us and our need to serve others selflessly. At Baptism we have all been signed with the cross. The priest, our parents, and godparents signed our forehead with the cross …
