We’ve all heard the phrase: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”  It’s straight from the Bible; in fact, you’ll find it in three books of the Old Testament:  Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy.   It follows right after the Ten Commandments and is offered as a practical application of the 5^th Commandment: Thou shalt not kill.  After decreeing that “whoever strikes someone a mortal blow must be put to death,” the text goes on to decree the appropriate punishment for lesser injury.  It ends with, “if injury ensues, […]

In writing to the Christians in Rome, we hear St. Paul say in today’s second reading that the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. He is reiterating the teaching that Jesus often offered, indeed, his greatest commandment. The commandment to love – God, oneself, and one another – is emphasized over and over again in all four of the Gospels.

 God’s love for us is also very clearly presented in the Old Testament, although it is easy to miss this in the midst of all of the messages […]

Every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we experience God’s presence in two amazing ways: in his living Word and in our Lord’s life-giving Body and Blood.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this Mass, we are excited for several of our young parishioners who will experience God’s presence in a new way for them as they receive Holy Communion for the first time.  It is, indeed, a special moment for you and we rejoice with you! 

 But, we also experience God’s presence as we hear him speak […]

Today’s Gospel begins in a somewhat unusual way. Rather than starting with the typical “Jesus began to teach them,” or “Jesus told his disciples another parable,” it starts with a statement about geography, about a particular city called Caesarea Philippi.  I’ve been there and can tell you that it’s well worth visiting, although it’s hard to get access to it these days.  Located some 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, it is today an uninhabited no-man’s land in the hotly disputed Golan Heights.  Well before the time of […]

Again, let me congratulate those of you who will soon be receiving the Eucharist for the first time; you’ve waited a long time for this – since May! – and I’m sure you’re excited.  Receiving our Lord in Holy Communion is just as important for our spiritual health as the food you eat every day keeps your bodies healthy.  In fact, while the food we eat every day only satisfies us for a short time, the Eucharist prepares us for the heavenly banquet where our deepest desires will be satisfied […]

Again, let me congratulate those of you who will soon be receiving the Eucharist for the first time; you’ve waited a long time for this and I’m sure you’re excited.  Receiving our Lord in Holy Communion here on earth is one of the first fruits of the kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish while he was among us in the flesh.  Have you ever seriously pondered the kingdom of God?  Have you ever spent time just reflecting on where and what it is?  We hear Jesus talk about […]

There is one question that we all have to struggle with in life and is certainly on the minds of us all today as we continue to cower before the sickening and deadly power of COVID-19 and our nation continues to struggle with the issue of racism following the death of George Floyd.  The question is: why is there evil in the world?  If God is an all-good God, why would he allow us to struggle so much in our lives against seemingly evil forces?  Today, especially, we ask: why […]

Farming has come a long way since the time of our Lord.  Today, farmers use huge tractors to plow and fertilize their fields, sophisticated GPS systems to increase their crop output and massive harvesters to bring in the ripened produce.  But, no matter how many advances modern technology affords to farmers, they face many of the same challenges and obstacles experienced by their ancient counterparts, not the least of which is the weather, something that even today no one can control or even accurately predict.  This past spring, for example, […]

Let me wish all of you a Happy 4^th of July, a day when we celebrate our independence from the oppressive yoke of British rule.  Unfortunately, this year, there is more fizzle than sizzle, as we continue to struggle under the yoke of the coronavirus pandemic.  The image of a yoke is not common in our urban culture, but I’m sure you’re all familiar with it.  It’s that wooden piece that keeps two oxen together as they plough a field or haul goods.  We actually have an image of a […]