Isaiah 8:23–9:3;  1 Corinthians 1:10-13,17;  Matthew 4:12-23 “The people that walk in darkness have seen a great light.” Her name is Lucy, a name which means “light.” Ironically, her eyes appeared dark and lifeless.  She tells me she hasn’t been sleeping at night.  She had come to me for spiritual direction because she was...
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Isaiah 2:1-15; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44                         “They shall beat their swords into plowshares                                     and their spears into pruning hooks;                         one nation shall not raise the sword against another,                                     nor shall they train for war again.” That is one of the most beautiful passages found in the scriptures, and the most...
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5th Sunday of the Year – Cycle C 2010+ Isaiah 6:1-8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11 Polls of Catholic churches across the United States give a rather alarming statistic. “The average Catholic parish in North America has fewer than ten percent of its registered members involved in various parish activities.”  What this means is...
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How do the readings from Sunday’s liturgy link to the celebration of Priesthood Sunday? This Sunday we celebrate Priesthood Sunday, an opportunity to thank God for the service and ministry of many great and wonderful priests who help us deepen our relationship to God and others. The Lectionary readings for this Sunday offer significant...
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Isaiah 50:5-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35 At the center of our readings today is the age-old teaching that has been misunderstood since the time of the reformation – the controversy between faith and works.  Paul, in his letter to the Romans states clearly, “. . . we consider that a person is justified by...
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