I am the Good Shepherd In the Gospel Reading, Jesus says that his sheep follow him. Those who belong to him know his voice and so they are willing to follow him and let him lead the way.  The most comforting of the Psalms, 23, begins with the line: “The Lord is my shepherd.”  It  Read more …

SEQUELA CHRISTI   – Following Christ Last week in my weekly reflection, I said that The Pre-Lent season is a time of preparation for the great fast of Lent. Fasting helps us experience our part in the passion (suffering) of Jesus. The Stations of the Cross, also known as the “Via Dolorosa”, is a narration  Read more …

Why do we make the sign of the cross when entering the church, at the beginning of the mass or any other prayer? The answer is both simple and profound.  In the Sign of the Cross, we profess the deepest mysteries of the Christian Faith, the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and the saving  Read more …

No entitlement in the Kingdom of God The parable of the workers in the vineyard, in today’s Gospel, serves as a corrective to false notions of entitlement and merit. The story reflects the socio-economic background of Palestine at the time of Jesus. The parable is offensive to our mundane culture and it challenges our secular  Read more …

People often don’t look forward to Lent.  Childhood memories of giving up candy or sitting through weekly Stations of the Cross come immediately to mind.  Words like “sacrifice”, “discipline” and “self-denial” are often used in ways that suggest that Lent is something to be endured rather than a time of grace and spiritual growth.  Have  Read more …

The Eucharistic fast promotes a deeper reverence and respect for this Sacrament, which is not ordinary food; it is the Panis Angelorum, the “bread of angels”.  St. John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord with fasting and penance, because fasting makes room in the heart, mind, body and soul for the Lord.  We  Read more …

Sometimes God says “not yet”‘ Last Wednesday at the mass of the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we heard that Simeon was a holy waiter; he lived waiting to see the consolation of his people Israel.  Today’s parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, or Tares, is filled with spiritual significance and truth: “Not  Read more …

Lord, I am not worthy. . .” We say these words at every mass, but what do they mean?  This prayer comes after the words of the priest, “Behold the Lamb of God, and behold Him who takes away the sins of the world….”  These words are calling each person in the congregation to wake  Read more …

Pascal Wager In the seventeenth century, a famous philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, encouraged people to make a wager when it came to belief in God.  If a person chose to believe in God and God did exist, that person would gain everything (eternal life).  If a person chose to believe in God and God  Read more …

It’s normal to worry from time to time.  Given life’s many unknowns and challenges, worry could be considered a natural response to many situations.  But chronic and all-consuming worry can be troublesome and interfere with our ability to function freely and calmly in our daily lives.  More importantly, problem worry can make faith in God  Read more …