I must turn on the tap on my kitchen sink, dozens of times a day. To wash dishes, for cooking, to fill up my dogs’ water bowls, to fill up our water filter for my little family of four. I access safe, affordable drinking water over and over again throughout the day, without a second
Readings: Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 5:7-9; John 12: 20-33 A few years ago a public opinion survey of teenagers asked what they wanted to be in the future and the answer, perhaps understandable but also shocking, was to be famous. Not just young people but many of us today would love to be famous, to be
READINGS: 2 Chr. 36: 14-26, 19-23; Eph. 2: 4-10; John 3: 14-21 Today’s Gospel reading starts halfway through Jesus’ discussion with Nicodemus and, while the Gospel of John can sometimes be hard to follow, it tells us something important if we look at what is going on before verse 14 begins. As Chapter Three of
Brothers and Sisters Read More »
Readings: Exodus 20: 1-17; I. Cor. 1: 22-25; John 2: 13-25. Who likes rules and regulations? I know of no one who relishes being told what to do; it used to be inherent in our character as Americans to resist any attempt to restrain our freedoms. So how do we relate to the first reading
READINGS: Genesis 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Romans 8: 31b-34; Mark 9: 2-10. Who hasn’t made the traditional “New Year’s Resolutions’ for self-improvement? Or who has not dreamed of the day when not shackled by some bad habit, sinful inclination, or a character flaw? We all do and, as Americans, concern about ‘self-help’ has been
READINGS: GENESIS 9: 8-15; I PETER 3: 18-22; MARK 1: 12-15. Remember the last time you traveled through a desert; perhaps it was the Mohave Desert or that Sonoran Desert of Arizona and Mexico. Do you remember what you experienced? If you are like most people what was most striking is the seemingly barren, dry
Readings: Joel 2: 12-18; II Cor. 5:20-6:2; Matt. 6: 1-6; 1-18. There is much focus nowadays on the environment and our relationship to it. While much of this is framed in apocalyptic terms which induce endless hand-wringing with a sense not only of impending doom but of human powerlessness. And who needs that? So many
January 14th is the Anniversary of the passing of Msgr. Anthony Brouwers. How many of us can tell you the anniversary of the passing of a parent or loved one? These dates, over time, serve as a day of memory rather than sadness, filled with opportunities to pray, remember with joy the lives of those
Remember and Celebrate Read More »
So many have been looking forward to turning the page to a new year, there were even Christmas ornaments that tried to make light of some of our shared 2020 experiences. I admit I did learn to make sourdough bread, cleaned out closets, and found new ways to work from home. So we take a deep breath, head into
2020 Christmas will most likely be different from any Christmas we have celebrated. There will be fewer family gatherings, fewer large events, and for some, the only Mass that they will attend will be virtual. It can be easy to feel sad about these changes, I know my husband and I are sad that we
