Spiritual Reflections

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.”   A large group of family members had gathered in Gaza for a meal and to visit with one another. Suddenly there was a missile attack,…

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 2:21-23       Psalm 90 (91)       Colossians 3:1-11        Luke 12:13-21 In today’s first reading, from the beginning of the book of Ecclesiastes, Qoheleth, the wisdom teacher, muses over the emptiness of…

When I read the first reading about Sodom and Gomorrah, I know that I am always consoled by the fact that God would not destroy the innocent along with the guilty. There are far too many human instances where the…

Genesis 18:1-10 Colossians 1:24-28 Luke 10:38-42 Guess who’s coming to dinner! The readings today remind me of a time when I was about 8 or 9 years old, when my mother would fix a sandwich for the occasional visitor at…

Luke 10: 25-37 What must I do to gain eternal life?  How do I love God more?  How do I find God?  Or even, how can I be happy? These are questions that people have asked for a long time.…

We began this Eucharist with a hymn focusing on the Holy Spirit, one that speaks deeply to our faith in the transformative power of the Spirit, reminding us of how the Spirit works within us to change hearts, minds and…

We are celebrating the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, the founder of the See of Rome and the Apostle of the Gentiles. They are celebrated together because they are both considered foundational pillars of the Church, and tradition holds…

Genesis 14:18-20        1 Corinthians 11:23-26        Luke 9:1-17 Today’s Gospel tells us in plain words about God’s world, that is, about our world. Despite all appearances, regardless of the most distressing breaking news, our world…

This is Trinity Sunday.  I first became aware of the concept of the Trinity at an overnight Girl Scout camp when I was around 9. The girl who led grace before dinner said, “In the name of the Father, the…

On Memorial Day, I watched the National Memorial Day celebration on television. It was a lovely tribute to those who have put themselves on the front line to protect our freedom to be the kind of country our forefathers established.…

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 he knows the end is near. We know that John…

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, and so they brought many of their traditions and customs…