40 days in the desert of our lives Lent reminds us of the 40 years of wandering the Israeli people spent in the desert. It is also a commemoration of the 40 days our Lord Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying, and being tempted by the devil.      The desert, as we know, is  Read more …

The reason Lent lasts 40 days is that 40 is the traditional number of judgment and spiritual testing in the Bible (Gn 7:4, Ex 24:18, 34:28, Nm 13:25, 14:33, Jon 3:4).  Lent bears particular relationship to the 40 days Christ spent fasting in the desert before entering into his public ministry (Mt 4:1-11).  We imitate  Read more …

Even the liturgy “fasts” in preparation for the glorious season of Easter. The (pre) Lenten season is marked by two very distinct liturgical omissions.  Neither the hymn known as the Gloria (Glory to God in the Highest) nor the Alleluia verse sung before the Gospel is permitted during the entire 40 days of Lent (with  Read more …

Lord, I want to see! “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me”, said the blind man.  Look at my misery, abandon me not, and reject me not.  You are my only hope in this hopeless place.  This is the meaning of the plea a blind man made as Jesus entered into Jericho. This cry  Read more …

God instructs us to learn spiritual principles from His physical creation Have you considered the example of the seed?  When we think of the word seed, we usually think of those little things that we stick in our garden, with great hopes that in time that seed will transform into some kind of fruit or  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 work of  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 you ever  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 …

Concern for Others is the Beginning of Miracles Jesus bestows a huge honor on his mother Mary in the Gospel today during the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11).  He calls her the first woman of the New Covenant.  At Calvary, as the first woman of the New Covenant, she becomes Mother of the Church, the  Read more …