Who is a saint? Most of us respond to this question by thinking of martyrs witnessing publicly to faith by enduring excruciating torture leading to eventual death. Very few Christians will ever have this opportunity.|Today's ...

I'm a little overwhelmed to be writing about Easter Vigil. As a convert, I grew up going to church on Easter morning, and even now I still tend to go to Easter morning Mass because it feels more like Easter to me. I ...

Today's gospel reading would not require a homily or an online reflection, once Jesus has taken the time and effort to explain the meaning of the parable. What can one say after that? There is not much room for second-guessing ...

Although today's gospel reading from Matthew narrates Andrew's calling for the first time, John's gospel brings that calling back to the very beginning of Jesus' public life and that narrative presents us with some remarkable ...

Initially this parable appears straightforward. The call is to listen in my heart and respond properly to the "word of the Kingdom". It is even appears simpler in conjunction with the first reading. God's plan to draw ...

I have been weeding a lot lately as the summer rains and sun have given life to everything in our garden - including weeds. There is one weed that always fascinates me. It's a tiny thing and I usually catch it when it's ...

The first commandment in the Exodus Reading, i.e., "...You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves..." is as relevant in 2007, the 21st century after Christ as it was centuries earlier ...

We pray for the desire to overcome our sins by prayer, fasting, and works of mercy. Prayer will reduce us to our baptismal dignity. We pray so as to hear more clearly our baptismal name and mission.||Fasting puts us in a ...

The readings today provide us with directions yet again on how to live the God's teachings. They flow from a search for wisdom and a "prescription" for our behaviors to words of Jesus demonstrating His wisdom.||The first ...

I am always eager to see my assignments for the reflections and the inevitable connections.  It seems that either the readings are exactly what I need to hear at that moment and give them some serious reflection for my ...