Have you ever looked back at your life?  How does it appear to you – as a success, or as a failure? In the last chapter of the prophet Micah, we see Micah reflect on the entirety of his ministry in Judah. Micah saw …

The prophet Micah, featured in the last few days’ Old Testament readings, is one of the twelve minor prophets whose books appear in the Old Testament.  Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea.   He prophesied during the momentous years surrounding the tragic …

Today we have a continuation of last Sunday’s Gospel reading on the parables describing the Kingdom. Matthew, in these parables, speaks consistently of the “kingdom of heaven” and it could be, for some people, a misleading phrase because it seems to refer to the …

The prophet Micah, featured in today’s first reading (Micah 2:1‑5), is one of the twelve minor prophets whose books appear in the Old Testament.  Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea.   He prophesied during the momentous years surrounding the tragic fall of …

The individual who is not interested in the well-being of his fellow man has the greatest difficulties in life and provides the greatest injury to others. It is from among such individuals that all human failures spring.  It is when we are not interested …

July 16 Carmelmeans “vineyard,” “orchard,” or “garden” and reflects the fertile beauty of Mount Carmel’s picturesque slopes. The mountainous ridge starts on the Mediterranean coast in the northwest part of Israel, at the south shore of the Bay of Acre. From there, the range …

Like most of Isaiah, the excerpt used for today (Isaiah 10:5‑7, 13‑16) makes more sense (at least to me) when I read the whole chapter. It is the time of the Assyrian invasion of the southern kingdom of Judah. The “he” the Lord refers …

ST. KATERI TEKAKWITHA1656 to 17 April 1680Feast Day 14 July (US) or 17 April (Canada) Kateri Tekakwitha is called the Lily of the Mohawks. Her name Tekakwitha means “putting things in order.” Indeed, she did put her life in order in a short time. …

This past Saturday we saw Isaiah’s call to be a prophet of God taken from the sixth chapter of his book. We now go to the beginning of the book (Isaiah 1: 10-17) and from now on we will have selected readings from chapters …

In the early part of the thirteenth century, Giovanni Franceso Bernardone was headed to a prosperous life as a cloth merchant in the Province of Umbria, Italy.   He was headed to a life of complete self-gratification. He was a young man who loved …