Sunday’s Readings: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Psalms 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11, 12, 13; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43 JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF HELPING OTHERS In today’s second reading Paul offers a wonderful argument to his converts at Corinth for seeking to help those in need. He is dealing with a practical problem, arranging a collection for…

Sunday’s Readings: Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31; 2 Cor 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41 THE WIND AND THE SEA Living along the shores of Lake Superior—the “big lake,” as the locals call it—you can often hear the advice, “Respect the lake; don’t take it for granted.” People who know Lake Superior respect its power…

Sunday’s Readings: Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalms 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Mark 4:26-34 GOD’S TIME We either pay attention to or ignore “clock time” as we play in the summer sun and note the earth’s tilt and the lengthening days. We live by time. We reckon time in seconds and minutes and hours, or we use…

Sunday’s Readings: Exodus 24:3-8; Psalms 116:12-13, 15-16, 17-18; Hebrews 9:11-15; Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 SACRIFICEToday the Church focuses on the Eucharist. Today’s readings remind us how connected to ancient blood sacrifices we are when offering our unbloody sacrifice. The reading from Exodus describes a solemn ritual designed so the Israelites would never forget their covenant with God.…

Sundays Readings: Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40; Psalms 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22; Romans 8:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20 THE MYSTERY OF THE BLESSED TRINITYToday we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The Church sets aside this Sunday to focus our attention on the mystery of the Blessed Trinity, God who is one, but three persons—Father, Son,…

Sundays Readings: Acts 2:1-11; Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13; John 20:19-23 SEND OUT YOUR SPIRIT LORDIn today’s responsorial psalm the Church sings out: “Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” All three readings describe how God has answered that prayer already. In the first reading from…

Sunday’s Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ASCENSION The theological unity, or perhaps even the temporal experience of the early community, made it seem that Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension were inseparable aspects of a single mystery. Only in the later writings of Luke and John has…

Sunday’s Readings: Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Psalms 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 1 John 4:7-10; John 15:9-17 THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT We have a unique episode in the Acts of the Apostles today. A whole roomful of people are baptized with the Holy Spirit before they are baptized with water! The verb used—“the Holy Spirit ‘fell’…