Spiritual Reflections

When I think of Mary, the first image to pop into my head is still that of a lovely white young woman in white and blue clothing with hands together in prayer. That’s the image. It never occurred to me…

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family who fled for their lives into a foreign land, much like the journey of so many others who are displaced in our current world.  We know the story in Matthew’s Gospel…

Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-24 Put on your reading glasses and take another look at the Scriptures for today. You will see how early in content they are in the various books of Scripture. Isaiah, Paul and Matthew’s words…

The theme this third Sunday of Advent, like all of Advent itself, is about expectations. Those of you who have heard me talk before will expect a short explanation of the root of the word “expectation.” And you will not…

Isaiah 11:1-10        Romans 15:4-9        Matthew 3:1-12 The days are getting darker, still, and will for another two weeks.  It gives me hope in these dark days of winter to know that the darkness is…

Isaiah 2, Romans 13, Matthew 24 When I read this Sunday’s Gospel earlier in the week, I thought that, in some metaphorical way, it speaks to the current situation in the United States and what the future could look like.…

It’s pretty easy to feel good with today’s Old Testament readings. Gone are the wars and bloody battles where God has a favored side. There’s no strife or conflict. No plagues or wandering in the desert. The readings are upbeat…

Sometimes, when I stand in Lebanon, Ky., holding a sign on Wednesday mornings, I have said the rosary. One day recently, I said, I believe in – long pause. What do I believe in, I said to myself. I believe…

Reading the first reading and the Gospel I was reminded of our human tendency, over thousands of years, to attribute to God or gods (depending on the particular beliefs) everything that we could not otherwise explain. God blessed us with…

Today’s readings are a wonderful collection of literary styles from Ezekiel’s visionary magical realism to the poetry of Psalm 46, the metaphor from Paul, and finally, a dramatic narrative about Jesus.   In the first reading, Ezekiel says he is shown…

When I was in the seminary taking homiletics, our professor told us that our listeners would likely not remember everything we said in a homily and so he advised that perhaps we should try to state what we wanted to…

Sirach 35: 12 Paul to Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18 Luke 18: 9-14 Luke was a master storyteller. When reading today’s Gospel, remember that the setting for the dialogue was the temple – for some a place of prayer and learning,…