A glorious entry into Jerusalem which a few days later ends with the Passion and death of Jesus. What a downer? How can we adjust to this within a week- especially a week labeled ‘Holy’. This week tells us how life can change and how fickle people can be. Jesus was welcomed as a future …
Sin- that word we dread to hear – is rarely spoken about nowadays and except perhaps by some well-known, fundamentalist preachers who seem to speak of nothing else. Perhaps this hesitation to think about sin is a reaction to some Church leaders who in the past seemed obsessed with it or perhaps it flows from …
1900 seems like a long time ago, but it really isn’t in the big scheme of things. The top three causes of death in the United States that year were tuberculosis, pneumonia, and diarrhea/enteritis.1 Diphtheria was number 10 in the list of all causes of death in the U.S. Eighteen years later, a deadly influenza …
Welcome to the Fourth Sunday of Lent- how has the Lenten journey been going so far; no doubt you have had high points and low points in trying to focus on God through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. But that is the way it is with any journey, so hang in there and pray that the …
Today, as on each March 24th, is World Tuberculosis Day marking the day in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced he had discovered the bacterium that causes tuberculosis1,2. Tuberculosis remains the world’s deadliest infectious killer.2,6. Every day 30,000 people fall ill from tuberculosis and 4500 people per day die2. This disease burden is borne primarily …
Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15; I Cor. 10:1-6. 10-12; and Luke 13: 1-9. Almost halfway through Lent how is everyone doing? I hope this season is giving us a reason to find extra time for reflection and prayer as well as motivation to reach out to the poor. Today’s first reading is from the Book of Exodus …
A doctor is called into a mission hospital late one night to see a sick infant. As the nursing staff works to start IV fluids and give oxygen to the infant, the doctor asks the mother, “What is the problem?”.  The mother responds, “The problem is that my daughter is one of the 40% of …
The Second Sunday of Lent and I hope this season is going well for you. Today’s Gospel reading is the story of the Transfiguration from the Gospel of Luke. But today is also St. Patrick’s Day so everyone knows which will have priority with the People of God (regardless of what Father may say today!) …
The First Sunday of Lent and I hope that everyone is well, getting into the reflective, prayerful spirit of this season. Today’s Gospel from Luke is the story of the devil tempting Jesus in the desolate, lonely desert of Palestine. He puts in front of Jesus visions of food (Jesus had been fasting!); power and …
It is Ash Wednesday once again with Lent beginning- so what does this mean to anyone? For some people it is, no doubt, just another day; no big deal as life goes on. For others Ash Wednesday may revive past memories of what was ‘given up’ during this season. For most Lent is a time …