Blessed are those who trust in the LORD; the LORD will be their trust. Jeremiah 17:7 NABRE Jeremiah is a prophet of the Lord who lives in a key period in the Hebrew history. He sees many of the major events that defined the end of Jerusalem and deportation of the people to the Babylonian Kingdom. This defeat to the Babylonian’s is seen as justice from God for being an unfaithful people. Most of Jeremiah’s…
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, That there may be food in my house. Put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, And see if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you, and pour down upon you blessing without measure! Malachi 3:10 NABRE Malachi is the last of the writing prophets, his name means “My Messenger.” The message of the prophet is to expose the sins of the people…
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. 1 Corinthians 14:1 NABRE Paul’s famous passage read at more weddings than any other passage is describing what it means to love. There are several options to say love in Greek, Paul uses the word which is the most intimate, most benevolent, the most disinterested love. This love is a love for the…
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Romans 4:7 NABRE Paul writing to the community in Rome, in this section, chapter four, is writing about the faith and fatherhood of Abraham. Paul accepts Abraham is father of the Jews, but he also makes the case that Abraham is father to the Gentiles. Paul’s argument is so good, today we accept Abraham as father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Paul declares…
Now those who belong to Christ [Jesus] have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24 NABRE Paul is writing to the community in Galatia with a powerful message on the fruits of the Spirit. Paul outlines what is against the Spirit. Paul says the works of the flesh are against the Spirit. When Paul refers to flesh he means sinful self-interest, Paul does not believe the flesh is evil. The examples he…
The just walk in integrity; happy are their children after them! Proverbs 20:7 NABRE Solomon’s wisdom ties integrity to the blessedness of children. Again, we see the word “just” which in biblical language is used interchangeably with righteous; to be upright, in a state of acceptability to God, to have a moral conduct in conformity to God’s will. Jesus teaching his disciples has a blessing which reads, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for…
All Christians honor Mary as the Mother of God, (Theotokos – God-bearer.) She played a vital role in the incarnation of the God Man, Jesus. But the extent to which Roman Catholics are devoted to Mary goes further than most other Christian groups. It is unlikely you could find a Roman Catholic Church building without a statue that represents Mary in a pronounced or honorable place, with fresh flowers and perhaps even prayer candles situated…
Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. But early in the morning he arrived again in the temple area, and all the people started coming to him, and he sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery and made her stand in the middle. They said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law, Moses…
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…
This week in the Church calendar begins Ordinary Time, which simply means the celebrations are not of any special events. Our message series “Walking in the Light” continues as we look at the readings from this weekend. We are called to be lights in the world and we are looking at different ways in which we are the light of Christ. Two weeks ago we celebrated the feast known as the Epiphany. A celebration of…
This week is the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord. It is a feast that marks the end of the Christmas season for the Catholic Church. It also marks the beginning of Jesus public ministry. Jesus as an adult came to John the Baptist to be baptized. There really was no need for Jesus to be baptized, he already was living a new creation, a new self. But this is one of the times…
We continue to celebrate the Christmas season with a feast known as the Epiphany. This feast celebrates Three Wise Kings following the light of Jesus to his crib, in a stable in Bethlehem. Their presence acknowledges his Kingship. As a welcome to the new King they bring royal gifts. Light is significant in the life of Jesus. We read many places in the gospels about light, Jesus saying, “I have come as light into the…
This week in the Catholic Church the Sunday celebration is around the Holy Family; in fact it is titled, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The readings and prayers incorporate family with order and obedience. We are all part of a family. Family is the place we come to and expect to be taken in, the door always opened for us. It can also be a place of struggle. Not everything…
Merry Christmas! We celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, among barn animals and shepherds and eventually Kings with expensive gifts. Love came down from heaven and dwelt among us. During advent we looked at a message series we called, “I come to do your will.” It is Jesus core principle. Everything he did was to do the will of the Father, the one who sent him. Over the four weeks we looked…
This is the fourth week of our series we are calling, “I come to do your will.” We read these words on the lips of Jesus many times in the gospel passages, it is in the psalms and we see them in the letter to the Hebrews read today. Jesus says he did not come on his own but he came to do the will of his Father. What an example we receive from Jesus,…
