Sunday’s Readings: Malachi 3:19-20; Psalms 98:5-6, 7-8, 9;  2 Thessalonians 3:7-12; Luke 21:5-19 THE END OF DAYS As we prepare for next Sunday’s feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, we hear descriptions of dire and catastrophic events. Sometimes it seems as though we ourselves are living in the end times, when life…

Sunday’s Readings: 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14; Psalms 17:1, 5-6, 8, 15; 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5; Luke 20:27-38 ETERNAL LIFE What happens after we die? Most religions and philosophies provide some notion of this, but we are confounded by the mystery of it all. Today’s readings give us a glimpse through the faith of martyrs and in…

Sunday’s Readings: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Psalms 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14;  2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Luke 19:1-10 A COMPASSIONATE GOD Today’s reading from the book of Wisdom presents an image of a patient God who “rebuke[s] offenders little by little” (Wisdom 12:2), an image endorsed by the psalmist, singing of how the LORD is “slow to anger…

Sunday’s Readings: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; Psalms 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23;  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14 MADE RIGHT BEFORE GOD Although the opening lines of today’s first reading claim that the Lord “knows no favorites” (Sirach 35:15) and is “not unduly partial toward the weak” (35:16), the remainder of the passage makes it clear that the…

Sunday’s Readings: Exodus 17:8-13; Psalms 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2; Luke 18:1-8 PERSISTENCE Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to the land promised to their ancestors. It was not an easy journey. In today’s reading, they are attacked by Amalek and his soldiers, members of one of the…

Sunday’s Readings: 2 Kings 5:14-17; Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19 HEALING AND STHE GIFT OF SALVATION Naaman and the leper who returned to Jesus saw God’s hand in their healing. Only through God’s intervention could they have been cured. Through this recognition of God’s presence and action in their lives, they…

Sunday’s Readings: Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4; Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; 2 Timothy 1:6-8, 13-14; Luke 17:5-10 THE GIFT OF FAITH Faith is a gift. When the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, they were going to the source of that faith with their request. God is the giver of all good gifts, including faith. When we…

Sunday’s Readings: Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalms 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31 CARE FOR EACH OTHERDon’t delude yourselves, Jesus says through the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. We really are supposed to care for others. It is not enough to go to Mass and occasionally serve at a parish or outreach…