We’ve all learned about the importance of washing our hands over these past few years, haven’t we?  But, it’s not a matter of religious belief but one of several important measures we all practice to combat the common flu, the coronavirus, RSV and whatever new illness is popping up.   I’m sure Jesus would encourage us to wash our hands regularly, but it won’t necessarily get us closer to God; religion does that.

So, what is religion? As I’m sure you all know, the word “religion” simply speaks of our relationship with […]

“You have the words of eternal life.”  That’s quite a powerful admission that we hear St. Peter make in today’s gospel.  In the midst of his bumblings and failures, he also sometimes got it right.  The same man who was left almost speechless on Mount Tabor when he and two other disciples were privileged to get a glimpse of Jesus in all his heavenly glory, the same man who denied knowing Jesus when Jesus was in a trial for his life – not once but three times – that same […]

Once again, our church’s beautiful stained glass windows feature an image that we hear in today’s readings, this time our first reading from the Book of Proverbs.  This reading begins with: “Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns.”  You’ll find that on the top of the fifth panel on your left in the nave of our church.  The reading goes on to invite us to “come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed.”  And, you will notice that under the […]

Have you ever had one of those mornings when you were running a little behind schedule to get to work or school or an important appointment and you just grabbed a piece of toast or maybe skipped breakfast all-together?  Then – well before lunch time, you felt the consequences of that decision.  You noticed your energy level was dropping; it was hard to concentrate, to be productive, to complete the tasks at hand.  And, if you were struggling with any particular matter, you might have felt like Elijah in today’s […]

“Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”  In last Sunday’s Gospel, we heard about Jesus feed a crowd of more than five thousand, and how the people, in their amazement, exclaimed, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”  The prophet they were speaking about may have been Elisha who, as we heard in last week’s first reading, fed a crowd of 100 people with just 20 barley loaves and some fresh grain in the […]

“There was a famine in the land.”  That’s how the section just before the passage we hear in today’s first reading begins and it’s important for us to know this as we listen to today’s first reading.  At a time when travel was difficult and transcontinental transport was extremely expensive – you couldn’t go to your local ACME to pick up lamb chops from New Zealand or blueberries from Chile, or anything else you wanted for your next meal – everyone was dependent on the local rains to survive.  […]

“The apostles gathered together with Jesus and reported all that they had done and taught.”  In last week’s gospel account, you will recall that Jesus sent his apostles, giving them authority over unclean spirits so they could preach the good news, cure the sick and drive out demons.  This Sunday, we hear what happened when they returned to Jesus.  Notice what the apostles did not do.  They didn’t recall and rejoice in the great things God had done through them.  Rather, they reported all that they had done and taught.  […]

“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  What a curious statement for Paul to make – we hear it at the end of today’s second reading.  Sometimes, St. Paul can sound like an insufferable know-it-all or a proud braggart.  In today’s reading, however, we encounter a real sense of humility as we hear him speak of a thorn in the flesh that had been given to him.  He doesn’t elaborate, doesn’t tell us what that “thorn in the flesh” is, and theologians have been speculating ever since what […]

My father was a captain of the Dutch Merchant Marines.  Unlike the Marines we’re familiar with in this country as a branch of our military forces, the Dutch Merchant Marines is a private, commercial enterprise that trains officers for the Dutch merchant ships.  When we moved here to America, his expertise in seafaring led him to be employed by the Insurance Company of North America where he worked in its marine department.  His job was to travel around the world and inspect ships and their cargo after they had been […]

As I work in my rectory office which has a large window facing Aberdeen Avenue, I’m sometimes distracted by bright red, yellow, black and blue flashes as cardinals, finches, starlings and blue jays fly from the tops of the trees across the street and swoop down to feed on the grass and shrubs in front of the rectory.  It reminds me of today’s first reading from the prophet Ezekiel, where we hear God foretell the growth of a great nation using the image of a shoot that he will take […]