I like straight talkers.  I find it so much easier to address a situation if I know, up front, what the issues are and what we need to do.  Today, we hear our Lord offer us some straight talk and we all will do well to listen carefully.  Today’s gospel passage is another portion of the instructions Jesus gave his disciples before he sent them off as his apostles.  You will recall the difference between a disciple and an apostle.  A disciple is one who follows his teacher, carefully observing […]

Many of us spend a great deal of time and energy being afraid.  Some fear a past they cannot change or a future they cannot predict.  Others fear what people are thinking or saying about them.  There is fear of heights, the dark, spiders, loneliness, etc.  During this ongoing coronavirus pandemic, everyone has some fear.  Fear can cause confusion, distress and even paralysis.

One of the constant messages of Sacred Scripture is, “fear not!”  Whether it’s God speaking to Abraham as he calls him to leave his homeland or to Moses […]

“Remember, how for forty years now the Lord, your God, has directed all your journey in the desert,… He let you be afflicted with hunger, and then fed you with manna,…in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”  These words, taken from today’s first reading, take on particular significance for us today as those of you here in church return to receiving our Lord in Holy Communion after a fast of more than […]

If the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t caused us enough concern and consternation, the tragic death of George Floyd has certainly brought even more pain and anguish to our lives.  On top of that, the recent violent storms have left many of us with damaged homes and still without electrical power.  All of these events have disturbed our peace and we all like to live in peace.  But, true peace comes only when we humbly bow before God and strive to live in his love.  The coronavirus and stormy weather humble us […]

“He breathed on them…” Well, that certainly wouldn’t make Jesus very popular today, especially if he wasn’t wearing a mask!  But, the breath of Jesus wasn’t deadly; in fact, it was just the opposite.  Just as God had breathed life into the man that he had formed out of the clay of the earth – as we hear in the creation account in the Book of Genesis – so Jesus breathes life into the Church; we celebrate that today with great joy on Pentecost Sunday.  In today’s first reading, we […]

I imagine you have all heard the good news!  Governor Wolf has announced that he expects to move the five counties around Philadelphia to the yellow phase in two weeks; this will allow churches to reopen; our long wait may soon be over!  I don’t know about you, but I hate to wait.  I’m a doer; I like to get things done.  Whether it’s waiting in a traffic jam or waiting for a package to arrive, it’s hard to wait.  Sometimes, waiting is particularly difficult, like when you’re stuck in […]

Can you believe this weekend will already be Memorial Day Weekend?  If it hasn’t already ended for you and your family, the school year is almost over and the summer looms large.  Ordinarily, we would all be looking forward with great excitement and eager anticipation to getting away for some rest and relaxation.  But, this isn’t an ordinary time, is it?  Rather than excitement and eager anticipation, we’re feeling anxious and concerned.  We want to get away but we’re worried.  Is it safe?  Do we have to make alternate plans?  […]

We all know that God gave Moses 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai.  These commandments were given to help the ancient Israelites know how to show their respect and love for God and his people.  Unfortunately, they reduced their relationship with God to just following rules.  And, since they thought God liked rules, they made even more rules.  If you go through the Old Testament, you will find 613 of them.  And, the people thought that, if they followed these rules, God owed them a good life.  God then sent his […]

I was riding my bike a few days ago and passed one of our neighbors as he was leading his three kids on their bikes.  Keeping my safe six foot distance, I called out to him and asked him how he was feeling.  “Somewhere between stir and crazy,” he responded, “but hey, I get to spend more time with my kids.”  Every cloud has a silver lining and I was glad he could see the silver lining in the cloud that’s been hanging over all of us these days.  One […]

We’re all familiar with the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  It’s a wonderful image for us, especially these days as we feel lost and uncertain as to where we – or, in fact, the entire world – is headed.  As we hear in today’s Gospel, Jesus calls each of his sheep by name – just as he did at our baptism – and leads them out to find green pasture and plentiful water for the day.  We are also familiar with the story of Jesus going after the […]