Reflections of a Roman Catholic Priest
Start here with the readings for this Sunday. In the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel reading, we see a woman who desperately needs Jesus. Her daughter is suffering terribly, and in the midst of her suffering and desperation, this woman goes out in search of the Lord. She is a Canaanite, a non-Jew, a pagan... Continue Reading →
Start here with this weekend's readings. Jesus Christ is the Divine Sower who scatters the seeds of His grace into our lives in so many different and abundant ways. He gives us His Word in Sacred Scripture. He gives us His very Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist. He gives us the Holy Spirit... Continue Reading →
Start here with the readings for this weekend. Our Lord presents an invitation to each one of us today and every day: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” I think that most of us long for this from the Lord. But I also think that... Continue Reading →
Click here to see the readings for this weekend. Our Lord gives us a challenging call in the Gospel today. He tells us that whoever loves father, or mother, or son, or daughter more than Him is not worthy of Him. This sounds radical to us. Isn’t our family supposed to be number one on... Continue Reading →
Click here to see this weekend's readings. In our readings this weekend, we hear about fear. We might be a little confused, though. Because in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us to not be afraid, but He also tells us to be afraid. So what’s going on? Which one is it? Should we fear, or... Continue Reading →
Click here for the readings of the day At this point in the Gospel of Matthew, we are in the middle of a long series of Jesus’ teachings to His disciples. In these teachings, Jesus explains how to live in right relationship with God, with ourselves, and with one another. His teaching for us today... Continue Reading →
Click here for this weekend's readings. In all of the readings today, we see the heart of God burning with desire for us. His heart is moved with pity for us because we are troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. He desires that we might belong to Him and He to us. There... Continue Reading →
Today was my “re-birth day” twenty-nine years ago. I am so grateful to my parents for giving me the greatest gift any parent could give their child: the gift of faith through Christian baptism. I have been buried with Christ by baptism into death, so that as He was raised from the dead by the... Continue Reading →
We celebrate today the memorial of St. John Vianney, patron of all priests. The Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours includes this beautiful reflection from the saint on what he calls the “glorious duty of man.” From the Catechetical Instructions by Saint John Mary Vianney, priest(Catechisme sur la prière: A. Monnin, Esprit... Continue Reading →
Image: Hattiesburg Community Church When do the Lord’s plans for us run out? Does He stop doing ‘new things’ after our eightieth birthday? Surely ninety is too old for His mercies to still be new every morning? Clearly, though, this is not the Biblical witness. Think of Abraham and Sarah. Think of Zechariah and Elizabeth.... Continue Reading →
Total Surrender 