How much is enough? In Matthew’s Gospel, Peter asks that question, but with a very specific idea in mind. How much do I have to forgive my brother? How many times? Seven? That should be enough, right? Right? But what followed probably wasn’t what Peter expected. “Jesus answered, ‘I say to you, not seven times…
Honestly, you can’t help but think: This was not on Peter’s bingo card. There he was, the appointed leader of the apostles, trying to show his devotion and loyalty to Jesus, his willingness to defend him and protect him. And what did he get in return? Jesus turned around and called him “Satan.” What? That…
Acts 13:14, 43-52 Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5 Rv 7:9, 14b-17 Jn 10:27-30 Are we listening? This week’s Gospel from John offers this simple, matter-of-fact statement from Jesus: “My sheep hear my voice.” That idea of hearing also crops up in the first reading, from Acts, which reminds us how the people of Antioch responded…
Jos 5:9a, 10-12 Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 2 Cor 5:17-21 Lk 15:1-3, 11-32 We usually forget about the running. When we consider this Sunday’s scripture and the heart-stopping story of the prodigal son, we tend to overlook or just brush aside this extraordinary detail. We shouldn’t. As Luke describes it in the Gospel: “While he…
Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18 Psalm 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14 Philippians 3:17 – 4:1 or Philippians 3:20 – 4:1 Luke 9:28b-36 This Sunday’s readings seem to be all about wonder – in Genesis, we hear about a sky filled with countless stars, and then in Luke, we learn of Christ’s radiant transfiguration on a mountaintop. There…
For the last couple weeks, the Sunday scriptures have given us a healthy dose of what is commonly called ‘The Sermon on the Plain’ – Luke’s version of the more famous ‘Sermon on the Mount’ found in Matthew’s Gospel. The lessons have been familiar – but strikingly direct. What we hear is Jesus speaking directly…
Jer 17:5-8 Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 & 6 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20 Lk 6:17, 20-26 If anyone was expecting Jesus to deliver this sermon from a mountain, they got a shock. The first thing we notice in this Sunday’s reading from Luke is this detail: “Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a…
Think Christmas was over weeks ago? Think again. The Feast of the Presentation officially closes the Christmas season, 40 days after the Nativity, so there’s still one last chance to wish the world “Merry Christmas!” It is also one final opportunity in our liturgy to reflect on a vitally important motif of this season: the…
Who couldn’t use a miracle right about now? After weeks of parties and packages, planning and platters, the world returns to something vaguely normal. Our waistlines are bigger, and our to-do lists are smaller. Christmas is in the rear-view mirror. The trees have been tossed to the curb. The lights have burned out. The toys…
For most of us, New Year’s Day means both celebrating what’s ahead and learning from the year that’s ending. For Catholics, it’s seeing the past year not just through the rearview mirror but refracted through the lens of faith. A new year offers us more than a fresh start. It can be an opportunity for…