Prayer & Reflection - March 14, 2023 - Jesus talks about forgiveness a lot for someone who, being a perfect person, presumably never needed to be forgiven himself. He only did the hard part – freely forgiving others for their wrongdoings while never experiencing the consolation of being forgiven by someone else. Why is it that the same sinful nature which requires me…

Prayer & Reflection - March 13, 2023 - Two thoughts jump quickly to my mind from today’s gospel. The first is how hard it is to tell someone news they don’t want to hear. Even Jesus knew what it was like to be blamed for a message no one wanted to hear. While “Don’t shoot the messenger” was an expression unfamiliar to Jesus’…

Prayer & Reflection - March 11, 2023 - Today’s readings remind us of God’s infinite mercy, His incredible forgiveness, and His desire to welcome us back into relationship with Him regardless of what we’ve done to offend Him. The parable of the prodigal son, easily one of the most-recognized parables that Jesus offered, can be viewed through many lenses. Consider the younger son,…

Prayer & Reflection - March 10, 2023 - Joseph, Jesus, and Jealousy Jealousy is an interesting emotion to sit with during Lent’s middle dredges. Jealousy hopefully sits on the outside of the skin to be dealt with honestly and quickly. When it sits inside and festers it can lead to egregious errors or even sin. The mystery of taking forty days in our…

Prayer & Reflection - March 9, 2023 - Today’s readings illustrate our need to put all our trust in God’s gifts and not of things of this world. The first and second readings speak of how blessed we are when we view the things we receive as gifts from God. We all know that we need money and lots of resources at our…

Prayer & Reflection - March 7, 2023 - Today’s Gospel is the source for the very familiar saying, “Practice what you preach.” We hear Jesus admonish the Scribes and Pharisees, as their words and actions are not aligned, and their works are done only “to be seen.” The real issue Jesus addresses is that of integrity. Honesty in living and relating to others…

Prayer & Reflection - March 5, 2023 - The theme of the cross bookends the Transfiguration. Just prior to the Transfiguration Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me…” (Mt 16:24) and the narrative ends with, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the…

Prayer & Reflection - March 4, 2023 - “Behold, now is a very good time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” This verse, read before today’s Gospel at Mass, might be a wake-up call for us, if we’ve yet to focus on our plans for Lent. What could be more beneficial for our ministry than to remember that our salvation is at…

Prayer & Reflection - March 3, 2023 - Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. I always felt like forgiveness depended on trust. In order to forgive someone, you…

Prayer & Reflection - March 1, 2023 - The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Set out for the great city of Nineveh and announce to it the message that I will tell you.” So Jonah made ready and went to Nineveh, according to the LORD’s bidding. The story of Jonah is often read as if it were a…

Prayer & Reflection - February 27, 2023 - For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Matthew 25: 35-36 How familiar we are with this Gospel, as it is at the…

Prayer & Reflection - February 25, 2023 - In his message for Lent, Lenten Penance and the Synodal Journey, Pope Francis calls us to “journey together” (synod). He links this journey to the Transfiguration: “Like the ascent of Jesus and the disciples to Mount Tabor, we can say that our Lenten journey is “synodal,” since we make it together along the same path,…