General

The section of John’s Gospel that we have just heard is part of what we know as the “last discourse,” Jesus’ words and his prayer at the Last Supper, when…

In the first reading we see the vestiges of the Jewish religion and culture on which Christianity was founded. Jesus was Jewish as were many of his disciples and Apostles,…

Loretto Sister Rita Bruegenhagen introduced me to the commentaries of David Brooks and Jonathan Capehart on PBS News every Friday evening. I have enjoyed their commentaries ever since but recently,…

I have three experiences to bring to these readings about the contention among the disciples when Paul brought the Gospel to the Gentiles; about John’s vision of the chosen standing…

Acts 5: 27-41          Revelation 5:11-14          John 21:1-19 Today’s Scripture readings continue the Easter season’s focus on Jesus and his followers in the…

Acts 5:12-16 Revelations 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 John 20:19-31 Several years ago, during the Easter Vigil Elaine Prevallet quoted a phrase from a poem of Wendell Berry’s.  He used the expression:…

I came to Loretto on Sept. 15, the feast of our Sorrowful Mother, and it went over my head. But back then our other major feast day, the celebration of…

Isaiah 43: 16-21 Phil. 3: 8-14 John 8:1-11 “Being forgiven by someone is nothing short of an amazing grace.“ In today’s readings we hear from the prophets Isaiah and Paul…

Luke 15: 1-3; 11-32 The story of the Prodigal Son is one of the most famous parables of Jesus.  Many of us could repeat this story almost verbatim.  The traditional…

Exodus 17:3-7             Romans 5:1-8             John 4:5-42 When speaking of the Scriptures, there is always a choice to be…

In all three cycles of Lenten readings the first Sunday is always the temptation in the desert, and the second Sunday is always the Transfiguration. They are like bookends: the…

The readings for this first Sunday of Lent are much too familiar to us. We have heard them over and over again throughout our lives. This is true especially of…