Tag: Christ
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The Heart of the Law: The 3rd Sunday of Lent, Cycle B
Exodus 20:1-17; 1 Corinthians 1:22-25; John 2:13-25 At first, today’s readings might not present themselves as a unified whole: Moses receives the Ten Commandments; St. Paul speaks of the cross; our Lord cleanses the Temple. But if we look a little below the surface, a theme does emerge. First, the Ten Commandments. As significant as […]
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Mercy and Forgiveness: Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent
Daniel 9:4b-10; Luke 6:36-38 The readings today evoke two images of Pope St. John Paul II in my mind. The first is of a trip the pope made on April 13th, 1986. Although very short – less than two miles from the Vatican – its impact was as great as any pastoral visit he would […]
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Today: Thursday After Ash Wednesday
Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Matthew 4:17; Luke 9:22-25 Today. We just heard Moses say it twice. Today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today… (Deuteronomy 30:15). We can almost feel the immediacy in his words. Don’t put […]
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The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40 February 2nd is a day of celebrations. Many know it as Groundhog Day, the day when it seems the whole world watches the behavior of a groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. What many may not know is that this lighthearted little distraction began over a century ago as a Protestant […]
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The Heart of the Matter: The 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B
Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 95:8-9; Mark 1:21-28 When you ask people about their favorite schoolteacher and what it was that made them so great, the answer often has less to do with what they taught than the kind of person they were. They cared about us, were compassionate to us, interested in us, challenged us, and […]
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Alive Inside: Monday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5; Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6; Matthew 24:42a, 44; Luke 24:1-5 Recently I saw a documentary called “Alive Inside.” It briefly follows the career of a social worker who dedicated himself to bringing music to people who suffer from brain disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The effects of the music are startling; […]
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Ready or Not: Sunday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time
Wisdom 6:12-16; Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 My father died when he was 55 years old. He went out golfing with one of my brothers and had a massive coronary on the golf course. According to the coroner, Dad died from a total blockage of the left anterior descending artery of his heart – known as […]
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Minute Meditation: St. Martin de Porres
Philippians 2:5-11 Among the most important things we ever say, our last words probably rank pretty high. That is certainly the time to say the one thing that is closest to our heart; the thing we want others to hear and perhaps even remember us by. The last words of the man we remember today, […]
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Lost and Found in Translation: Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time
What may come across as little more than a discourse on marriage is actually a beautiful meditation on various aspects of love that can benefit all people.