THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

You may wonder why we’re celebrating this feast – the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – on a Sunday in the middle of September.  Since it falls on a Sunday only every so many years – the last time was in 2014 – you may have forgotten that this is an ancient feast day, marking the discovery of the True Cross by St. Helena and the dedication of the basilica that Emperor Constantine, her son, built in Jerusalem over the spot of our Lord’s crucifixion.  […]

You’re all familiar with Psalm 23, I’m sure.  It starts out with “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.  In green pastures he makes me repose; he refreshes my soul.”  How comforting those words are.

They are a far cry from the words we hear in today’s Gospel, aren’t they?  Here, we hear Jesus declare: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”  That sounds really harsh, doesn’t […]

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

 31 August 2025

Those who know me know that one of my favorite forms of entertainment is getting together for dinner with my family or a few friends at someone’s home or at a fine restaurant.  My sister knows this well so when we got together for vacation last week in Myrtle Beach she took me out to Greg Norman’s Australian Grille.  One of their specials was one of my favorite meats:  venison.  And, it wasn’t a venison steak but a venison chop.  It was prepared in […]

I hope you have all had some time for rest and relaxation with family and friends this summer – or that it’s on the horizon.  September is only two weeks away!  I enjoyed a week in Virginia Beach in July with some longtime friends and am looking forward to another week in Myrtle Beach with one of my sisters next week.  I love the eastern shore for a number of reasons.  One of them is the opportunity to enjoy spectacular sunrises.  Every morning, I make sure to be on the […]

I hope you listened carefully to this evening’s first reading.  It recalls a very important event in the history of Israel.  King David has established Jerusalem as the new capital of this new nation, Israel.  And, he has ordered the construction of a tent to house the Ark of the Covenant.  Finally, their God would be in their midst.  You can imagine the festival that surrounded this event.  This evening’s reading speaks of chanters, harps, lyres and cymbals, all making “a loud sound of rejoicing.”  What an great image!

But, what […]

We are called to be a people of faith.  We are called to put our faith in God.  But, it is not a blind faith.  Rather, it is rooted in the experience of a God who loves and cares for us.  We see that throughout Salvation History, that is, the history of God saving us, his people.  First, there was Abraham, our Father in Faith.  The second reading today recalls his story.  God called him in his old age, promising a dramatic change in his life, a new season of […]

When God created all things in this world, and He called them all “good.”  We hear that very clearly in the Book of Genesis.  So material stuff is not evil in itself.  Jesus had some wealthy friends, owned an expensive garment, seamless and so nice his executioners drew lots for it rather than dividing it, and he lived a life that some of his critics called excessive with food and drink.  He was obviously not an aesthetic hermit, living a life of poverty to cleanse the soul.  The example that […]

Last Sunday, we heard the story of the Good Samaritan.  In that story, Jesus contrasts the behavior of two members of the Jewish clergy, a priest and a Levite, with the behavior of a despised outsider, the Samaritan.  Even though the Samaritan may have lacked the knowledge of God’s law – as the priest and the Levite certainly did – the Samaritan fulfilled the law’s spirit better than these legal experts.  That parable shows the futility of a religion that has no application to daily life.  Today’s story of Mary […]

We all know that Jesus is God. He can do all things.  While he was in our midst, he healed the sick, fed the hungry, brought the dead back to life and even overcame the power of the devil as he rose from the dead.  So, why did he need the help of the seventy-two who we hear him send out two by two in today’s Gospel?  Actually, he didn’t need their help.  Jesus saves the world all by himself.  However, God, in his divine providence, calls on us to […]

So, why were Peter and Paul so passionate about continuing the hard and dangerous work that Jesus had begun?  Why would they risk life and limb and dare to walk into the lion’s den – that is, go to Rome – with such boldness?  What motivated them to give up everything and go on this mission that would ultimately lead to their death – Peter by crucifixion, upside down, at that – and Paul by being beheaded? 

To grasp the depth of their passion, we need to look at their […]