2025

Last Sunday we listened to the first of two parables about praying. Recall that it dealt with the woman who kept pestering the corrupt judge with her needs until he finally gave up and gave in.  This week (Luke 18:9-14) we hear the second parable, addressed specifically to those who pride themselves by praying and […]

Today, Jesus mentions two apparently recent incidents in which lives were lost (Luke 13:1-9).  In one case, Pilate, the Roman governor, had some Galileans executed in the Temple precincts. It is not clear as to why.  In the other, eighteen people were killed when a tower in Siloam, inside the south-east section of Jerusalem’s wall,

(Sleepers Awake) When I was in elementary school, I had both excellent teachers, and a few who should never have been allowed around children.  I was a good student, but at times I became bored because the lesson was about something that I already knew.  By third grade I had become a daydreamer. While in

Do you seek your personal glory at the expense of others? Do you put your gifts at the service of God and your neighbor, or do you use them primarily to achieve praise for yourself and for your gain in this life?  What is one concrete act that you can do to grow in humility

Introduction “Everyone knows John Paul II: his face, his characteristic way of moving and speaking; his immersion in prayer and his spontaneous cheerfulness. Many of his words have become indelibly engraved in our memories, starting with the passionate cry with which he introduced himself to the people at the beginning of his pontificate: ‘Open wide

The Knights of Columbus Council to which I belonged loved to hold events where breaking bread was at the heart of the celebration: Fellowship Breakfasts, Soup for the Soul on Friday evenings during Lent, St. Patrick’s Day Dinner (St. Patrick is the patron of our Diocese), our summer Luau.  Prior to COVID, I was involved

Today, Paul continues to give the example of Abraham’s faith as a model for all of us (Romans 4:20-25). One might wonder why he devotes so many words to Abraham, but we must remember that he was seen as the father of God’s people, including us, and that he was looked up to as a

Prayer, and specifically prayer of petition, is the theme of today’s Mass. There are many kinds of prayer: praise, thanksgiving, intercession, and petition. There is mental and vocal prayer. There are meditation and contemplation. We can pray privately on our own or in the company of others. There are private prayer and the public prayer

Groucho Marx once famously said: “I would never join a club that would accept someone like me as a member.” Exclusivity – it’s everywhere. Yet the normal readings for today (today is the Feast Day for St. Luke) invite us not to exclusivity but to inclusivity.  The people of Israel consider themselves a separate people,

Today Paul continues his theme about the gratuitousness of God’s love and salvation for us (Romans 4:1-8).  He uses Abraham as an example. Abraham is the father of the Jewish people, the great patriarch of the Jewish nation, the true example of a “justified” person.  But he also preceded the introduction of the Mosaic Law