Reflections

Continuing from the book of Judges (Judges 11:29-39), we have the story of Jephthah killing his own daughter, his only child, as a “burnt offering” to God. In Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14) we read about how guests who are invited to a prince’s wedding feast lay hold of the king’s messengers, mistreated and ultimately killed […]

Remember that yesterday I closed the Daily Reflection with a warning that we would revisit some of the disturbing stories in the Book of Judges.  Today, our readings take us into two disturbing stories, one in Judges and one in Matthew. Today’s Old Testament reading (Judges 9:6-15) begins with a puzzling parable that can be

I have a friend who is an evangelical Christian.  One afternoon several years ago, we were discussing our differing faiths, and he made the comment that he was a Christian, but Catholics were not Christian.  He said that every Sunday, the charismatic preacher he followed would delve into some reading from the gospel.  Catholics never

While I wouldn’t consider myself “rich” by any means, I am blessed to live a comfortable life. I live in a comfortable home, with my brother and sister, in a pleasant town with friendly neighbors.  I can afford to buy the types of food I like to eat, to take occasional road trips to nearby

This past week, we concluded our Old Testament readings taken from the Book of Joshua.  Today, on Sunday, we return to the readings from the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:4-6, 8-10). There is a war going on and Jerusalem is surrounded by the army of Babylon.   Jeremiah is experiencing the consequences of the burning word

This is the last of our readings from the book of Joshua (Joshua 24:14-29). It is an immediate continuation of yesterday’s daily passage as Joshua gives his final words to the tribes gathered at Shechem. Having reminded them of all that God did for them from time immemorial down to the present, Joshua urges the

Solemnity Today, Catholics around the world celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, commemorating the end of her earthly life and her assumption into heaven, body and soul. While the solemnity is relatively new, the dogma of the Assumption of Mary, also called the “Dormition of Mary” in the Eastern Churches, has its roots

Finally!  After wandering through the desert for forty years, the people of God finally are allowed to enter the land promised long ago to Abraham.  But these people are not the same people that left Egypt. That entire generation had died (except for Joshua and Caleb) because they did not trust in God and did

Our final reading from the book of Deuteronomy is the final chapter of the book (Deuteronomy 34:1-12). It is also our last reading from the Pentateuch. The death of Moses ends the long saga which began when he first received the call to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt; the great experiences on

Today we come to the last part of Deuteronomy which tells of the last days of Moses (Deuteronomy 31:1-8). Today’s reading deals with handing on the baton of leadership to Joshua. Moses knows that his end is near. He tells the people that he is already 120 years old and no longer has the stamina