Reflections of a Roman Catholic Priest
Jesus tells us today the parable of the dragnet. A dragnet is a very large net that brings in all kinds of different fish and debris from a lake. Fishermen cast this net over a very large area of a lake and then pull it in to the shore. After they draw in the catch,... Continue Reading →
Have you ever had the experience of seeing someone’s life and thinking to yourself, “Wow. It would be amazing to have that life?” You and I are hard-wired to be able to recognize goodness and beauty, and we long for it. Maybe you’ve seen other people’s loving relationships, where a married couple or even a... Continue Reading →
In our Gospel reading today, Jesus speaks to us through the parable of the weeds among the wheat. Jesus Himself explains the symbolism of this parable a few verses later: Jesus Himself is the one who is sowing good seed in the field of our world. The good seed or the wheat represents Jesus’ disciples,... Continue Reading →
Our Lord gives us a challenging call in our 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. Surely God would not expect us to place our religion above our family, right? Isn’t family supposed to... Continue Reading →
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 should we not fear? Let us take... Continue Reading →
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” What a challenge it is to heed Jesus’ call to love our enemies rather than hating them. Who are the “enemies” in your life right now? Who are the people you struggle to love rather than hate? Who comes to mind? Doesn’t Jesus understand how... Continue Reading →
St. Thomas Aquinas "Wisdom from above is first of all innocent. It is also peaceable, lenient, docile, rich in sympathy and the kindly deeds that are its fruits, impartial and sincere. The harvest of justice is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace."-James 3:17-18 What is wisdom? It seems to be one of those... Continue Reading →
Very strong is the language and powerful the imagery that we hear in our readings today. We can’t help but feel personally chastised and convicted by the directness of it all. Our Lord exclaims through the prophet Amos in our First Reading: “Woe to the complacent in Zion!” But because the readings in every Mass... Continue Reading →
Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who is a remarkable example to us of what it looks like to lay down one’s life out of love for God and one another. Maximilian Kolbe was a Franciscan missionary priest who founded the Militia Immaculata, a movement that encourages total consecration to the Blessed... Continue Reading →
Total Surrender 