Yet I consider life of no importance to me, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace. Acts 20:24 NABRE Paul is journeying to Jerusalem for Pentecost. Before the final leg of the journey he meets with the church leaders from Ephesus. Having spent three years living and founding community together, and being warned from the Holy…
See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1 NABRE This First Letter of John is substantial, it is a teaching about Christian faith and love. It describes the qualities of those who truly belong to God and have fellowship with Father and Son.…
Beloved, I hope you are prospering in every respect and are in good health, just as your soul is prospering. 3 John 1:2 NABRE This Third Letter of John is the shortest writing in the cannon called the New Testament. It is not a letter concerned with truths of the faith or calling for love. This letter concerns relationships, and in particular the relationships between leaders in the early Church. John is writing about a…
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 NABRE The Letter to the Hebrews is considered more a homily to be spoken than a letter written and read to the community, its style is more for preaching. Chapter eleven begins a new section of the letter which addresses faith and endurance. It begins as we read in the quoted verse defining faith. Faith is the realization…
Iron is sharpened by iron; one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 NABRE Solomon known as a wise king is credited with the quoted Proverb. It is an obvious saying about iron. If you have a set of knives you sharpen them on another hard surface, using other iron tools. Like iron sharpening iron, one person sharpens another. If we are left on our own we are challenged to better ourselves, to push ourselves to growth.…
Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1 NABRE In the Second Letter to the Corinthians Paul is addressing some concerns in the community as he prepares a trip to visit them. In the section of the letter that includes the quoted verse Paul is encouraging the people in the community of Corinth to avoid…
Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee (some call it Tiberias). A huge crowd followed him, attracted by the miracles they had seen him do among the sick. When he got to the other side, he climbed a hill and sat down, surrounded by his disciples. It was nearly time for the Feast of Passover, kept annually by the Jews. When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to…
Opening the Second Vatican Council Pope John XXIII made a remark that defined the nature of the entire council, “Throw open the windows of the church and let the fresh air of the spirit blow through.” It was a call for the church to recognize a need to engage with the modern world, to develop her desire to be a faith for all people and that the church define evangelization as a major reason for…
Soon after the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury report on the sexual abuse scandal Professor and Author Scott Walker Hahn posted on his Facebook page a caution about turning to a married priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church as a “simple solution to the problem of clerical scandal.” His point of view is further supported by the notion of a plethora of divorced Protestant pastors (Hahn’s post had the rate at 50% but he later…
As the news, discussion and church pulpit’s become places to hear about the latest round of Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Scandal stories thanks in part to the release of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Grand Jury Report, we have to wonder what news should be shared with young children. As I sit and listen at family gatherings and meals, I see inquisitive eight year old eyes wanting to know what everyone is talking about. It is…
The Roman Catholic Church in the United States finds itself in crisis, one more time. In the early 2000’s the Boston Globe investigative reporting revealed a child abuse scandal that caused the United States Conference of Catholic bishops to unite and create new procedures in response. It became know within the parishes of the Roman Catholic Church as “Protecting God’s Children.” Armed with this new procedure the church hoped to put the problem in the…
God’s presence and authenticity is challenged by several different groups and many individuals. Yet, if we accept God we accept and recognize Evil, because God’s book tells us there is evil. One passage on evil is from Psalm 23 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (23:4 ESV) Another often spoken verse…
This is our second week of a series we are calling, “More than All Others.” In the reading from Mark, Jesus speaking about a poor widow who gave only two coins to the treasury, said she gave more than all others. It is a great honor and respect from Jesus and it is the approach we should have in all we do for the kingdom of God. It is not an approach to a competition…
This week we begin a new series we are calling, “more than all others.” Jesus when speaking about a poor widow who gave only two coins to the offertory, said she gave more than all others. It is a great honor and respect from Jesus and it is the approach we should have in all we do for the kingdom of God. We are not trying to create a competition, or even do a comparison…
This is the final week of series called; “What do you want?” It is the question we read Jesus asking Bartimaeus who is blind and seeking Jesus’ assistance. It is also a question Jesus asks all of us. What do we want? As we close out the series, hopefully you have reflected on the question and have some answers. God, the creator of the universe stands ready to answer your response. So what do you…
This is week three of our series called; “What do you want?” It is the question Jesus asks Bartimaeus who is blind and seeking Jesus’ assistance. It is also a question Jesus asks all of us. What do we want? In previous you were challenged to take time to reflect on what it is you want and to focus on what you might have heard in a previous reflections. God, the creator of the universe…
This is week two of our series called; “What do you want?” It is the question Jesus asks Bartimeaus who is blind and seeking Jesus’ assistance. It is also a question Jesus asks all of us. What do we want? Before we begin this week take some time and reflect on what it is you want. Maybe you started this last week, if so this week you might keep focused on what you heard reflecting.…
This week we begin a new four week series including the readings over the next four weeks. The series is called; “What do you want?” It is the question Jesus asks Bartimaeus who is blind and seeking Jesus’ assistance. It is a question Jesus asks all of us. So as we start it would be good if you take some time and reflect on what it is you want. God, the creator of the universe…
