Acts 2:14,36-41; 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10 One of the most enduring images of Christ through all the centuries has been that of the Good Shepherd.  Centuries before images of the cross were used to mark the graves of believers the image of the Good Shepherd was what was commonly found on tombs.  The...
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Isaiah 49:3,5-6; I Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34 In a letter to his nephew, Michelangelo wrote about his great achievements as a sculptor, painter and poet.  The great Renaissance artist said, “Many believe – and I believe – I have been designated by God for this work.  In spite of my old age, I do...
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Sirach 3:2-6,12-14; Colossians 3:12-21; Luke 2:22-40 In the infancy narratives of the birth of Christ, Mary and Joseph are the key characters.  We hear about the shepherds and their response to the newborn king.  We hear about the foreign dignitaries who paid homage to the newborn king.  We hear also about a jealous local...
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What are Church Fathers? Is this just another name for priests? The title of Church Fathers refers to a select group of theologians who lived in the first eight centuries. They were outstanding authorities on church doctrine and practice and had enormous influence. Their unanimous acceptance of certain doctrines as being divinely revealed was...
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Deuteronomy 30: 10-14; Colossians 1: 15-20; Luke 10: 25-37 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself,” What does it mean to love God with our whole heart, soul, strength, and mind?  How...
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  Friends at work say they don’t need religion because they are good people. How should I respond? Good is the politically correct thing for people to say about themselves. But what does “good” mean? To measure goodness, you need some criteria and it usually comes down to a general sense of keeping the...
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How do we know when we receive the Holy Spirit? My brothers and I discovered something as we got older.  There’s a little bit of dad in us. Each time we catch ourselves using one of his gestures, expressions, or comments about a meal, we say, “I’m getting more like Dad!” Many laughs and...
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Revelation 7:2-4,9-14;  I John 3:1-3;  Matthew 5:1-12 Today’s celebration of All Saints is very much about “people needing people.”  We Catholics seem very much to need our fellow humans, the saints.  In the first decades of the history of our Church, we have sought out, imitated and prayed to the martyrs of our church...
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Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-8;  James 1:17-18;  Mark 7:1-8,14-15,21-23 Today, and for the next several weeks, we read from the letter of James.  In this book, 18 out of the 108 verses speak directly about the damage that can be done by the tongue.  Today James exhorts us to be “doers of the word, and not merely...
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Proverbs 9:1-6; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58 “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life . . . “(John 6:54). Have you ever thought about that word “eternal?”   What does it really mean?  Is eternity something you see as a “very long time” going on for ever and ever?  Do you think...
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