Sunday’s Readings: Numbers 11:25-29; Psalms 19:8, 10, 12-13, 14; James 5:1-6; Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 NOT AGAINST US Like Moses before him, Jesus corrects his disciples’ misunderstanding of the gift of the Spirit. They saw people who were not of their company casting out demons and doing other works such as Jesus had done. Jesus points…

Sunday’s Readings: Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalms 54:3-4, 5, 6, 8; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37 HOW DO WE TREAT THE MESSENGER? Let’s not be too hasty in defining who is “the wicked one” and who (namely us) is just! We are very quick to label others as evil, because we tend to label ourselves as good guys.…

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 50:5-9; Psalms 116:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; James 2:14-18; Mark 8:27-35 LISTENING AND RESPONDING There are three interwoven themes in today’s readings: listening to God, faith vs. good works, and losing our life in order to find it. How are they related? The Suffering Servant of Isaiah undergoes much distress and ridicule, but is…

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalms146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37 SEE BEYOND OUTWARD APPEARANCES The phrase “Sunday best” has lost much of its meaning in our society today. Some lament the loss of people dressing up for church on Sunday; others think it’s a healthy sign that we’re as casual in attire gathered before the…

Sunday’s Readings: Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-8; Psalms 15:2-3, 3-4, 4-5; James 1:17-18, 21B-22, 27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 THE HIGHEST LAW From time to time, newspapers and magazines will offer, as an item of “filler,” various laws that are still on the books but seem silly to us in our day and age. In one California city,…