A poet once said:  “Two men gazed through prison bars.  One saw mud, the other stars.”  The insight is that circumstances don’t control attitude.  Both men were in prison but because one was looking up instead of down, he didn’t let his experience depress him.  During these days we are celebrating the presence of the… Read More »

The Feast of the Annunciation is such a big deal that the Church wants to celebrate it every year. It is important because on this day we remember the conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary; that “the Word became flesh.” Since Christmas is December 25 we count back nine months to March 25,… Read More »

Sts. Peter and John were ordered to stop preaching about Jesus by the authorities. They responded: “Whether it is right in the sight of God for us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges.” They saw themselves under obedience to the Law of Love. In our day and time something similar occurred… Read More »

You can picture it. After all of the drama of the events surrounding Jesus’ suffering and death followed by the encounter with the Risen Lord on Easter Peter and his old fishing buddies from Galilee tried to return to something normal. Peter says,  “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with… Read More »

One of the chilling lines in the scripture is found in a speech of St. Peter in the Acts of the Apostles. He reminds his hearers that they handed Jesus over to Pilate. Then he says, “Now I know, brothers and sisters, that you acted out of ignorance.” That line terrifies me because it was… Read More »

I want a burning heart like Mr. and Mrs. Cleopas. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”  By coincidence (providence?) the saint of the day, St. Isidore of Seville, had a reflection on how to read in a spiritual way. He suggested… Read More »

The Risen Jesus said to Mary Magdalene, “Stop holding on to me.” Stop clinging to the way things used to be, the old way of operating. No longer will we walk the dusty roads of Galilee together. We will share life in a deeper and more profound way than in the past. That word to… Read More »

The Easter season goes from now until Pentecost, the fiftieth day. During this time the first reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles — testimony to the impact that the resurrection of Jesus had on his followers. A large portion of the Book of Acts is given over to speeches.  In Acts 2… Read More »

The word is out. The tomb is empty. Mary Magdalene has seen it. The promise of the Lord to rise on the third day seems to be coming true. Simon Peter and the beloved disciple run to the empty tomb and see neatly folded and rolled up burial cloths. The evangelist reports that the beloved… Read More »

We pray in the ancient creed of the Church that after Jesus “was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell.” This curious article of belief reminds us that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the saving grace of Jesus, even those who preceded him. One of the oldest Christian sermons we possess… Read More »