Sunday’s Readings: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34 THE DAYS ARE COMING Separation, isolation, and hostility are terrible things. We are, sadly, too familiar with all of them in our modern life, whether we look at world events or events in our own neighborhoods and families. All three readings today refer…
Sunday’s Readings: Amos 7:12-15; Psalms 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13 GOD CHOSE US Who chose first, God or you? That is the question explored in today’s three readings. The second reading, from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, reads almost like a hymn. It praises God for choosing us, for calling us to serve, and…
Sunday’s Readings: Ezekiel 2:2-5; Psalms 123:1-2, 2, 3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6 NO BAD NEWSThere are many times when we say, “Tell me what I want to hear, and don’t confuse me with facts.” And we don’t take kindly to someone who might be bold enough to snuff out our expectations. The biggest problem with…
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,…