“You cannot serve both God and mammon.”  We all know that Jesus is an excellent teacher and, on this Catechetical Sunday, we commission all of our teachers – those in our school and in our PREP, as well as you parents, the primary teachers of your children – to follow the example of teaching as Jesus did.  His lesson today is summarized in the last line of today’s gospel passage:  you cannot serve both God and mammon.  We all know who God is and how we are to serve him: […]

Did any of you fly anywhere this summer and lose your luggage?  I didn’t have the occasion to fly recently but I’ve lost my luggage a few times over the years and, as those of you who have had it happen to you know, it’s a very frustrating experience.  Unfortunately, it seems to be even more prevalent now for a variety of reasons and reclaiming your luggage seems to get harder and harder.

It’s sad when anything – or anyone – is lost.  And yet, it seems that there are millions […]

How many of you have known someone who seemed to be lost in his/her life, may even have done something seriously wrong, and then, one day, declared they have turned their life around, claiming that they have “found Jesus.”  I’ve heard a number of people tell me that.  My first reaction is to thank God! That is the very definition of “repent and believe!” And while some may be skeptical, it is remarkable to see how God can work in someone’s life.  In fact, it’s good for us as Christians […]

As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day next weekend, I’m sure many of you are planning a get together with family or friends.  And, for most of us, that will include a meal – a barbeque, picnic or dinner.  How fitting for us to hear about Jesus in today’s gospel at a meal.  Jesus is the guest at a fancy dinner.  His host is a leading Pharisee; a person with great status in the Jewish community.   And, he has invited some friends to dinner to meet this newest celebrity in […]

The disciples came to Jesus one day and asked, “Teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”  Have you ever thought about that request?  It’s rather curious, if you think about it.  After all, the Jewish faith is filled with examples of prayer.  Just look at today’s first reading where we hear Abraham praying to save Sodom and Gomorrah or turn to the Book of Psalms which is filled with prayers of praise and petition, lament and thanks.  Does the disciples’ question indicate that they think that there […]

I don’t know about you, but I was really excited to see the first images of the universe that the James Webb Telescope – the world’s largest space telescope – provided us last week.  Those photographs of the Carina nebula, where stars are born and Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies demonstrate how this new telescope will help us to peer deeply into the mysteries of our universe back to its origin some 13 billion years ago.  I look forward to learning more about these photographs and the […]

We all know the importance of laws in our lives.  They keep us on the right side of the road so we don’t run into each other on the road and assure us that the product we’re buying is exactly as described on the label.  But, laws are not intended to draw us closer to one another or to God; only love can do that.  God gave his people Israel the Ten Commandments as a sign of his great love for them and to help them understand how they could […]

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 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 assist […]

I’m sure many of you have been waiting with great anticipation the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade that was handed down on Friday; I know I have.  As Judge Alito wrote in his 79-page opinion of the Court, “Abortion presents a profound moral issue on which Americans hold sharply conflicting views.”  And from these conflicting views, we find deep division about this decision to return the legislation of abortion to the states because it once again brings to the fore the longstanding debate about abortion.

We all know that […]

Have you ever noticed how much of the story around Jesus’ public ministry involves a meal and food?  From his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana to the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves – so significant that it is found in all four Gospels – to the story of the woman who asked Jesus to heal her child as he reclined at table, to the account of the woman who wept and bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears as he dined with a Pharisee, to the […]