Each time we Catholics pray the Hail Mary, we remind ourselves of what we are. “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” Mindful that we are sinners, we begin the Mass by asking God to forgive us.

Oddly enough, some people claim there is no such thing as sin. For them, the idea that certain kinds of human behavior are inherently wrong and necessarily harmful to those who engage in them is outmoded. They think of sin as an attempt by the Church to keep people from doing what comes naturally to them. Behavior that was universally deemed immoral in the past is gaining acceptance today. This approach to sin is quite common in the crazy world around us.

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7th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

It is no secret today that there are deep divisions in our society and in our churches. The readings today remind us that there were deep social and religious divisions in the Judaism of Jesus’ day as well as in the Christian communities founded by Paul. They also remind us that in our own settings, Jesus and Paul still try to be uniters, not dividers.

Speaking of uniters, Sunday marks the 203rd birthday of Abraham Lincoln, our 16th (and in the opinion of most historians) our greatest president.

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6th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

4-5 FEBRUARY, 2012 – YEAR B
SCRIPTURE: 1ST Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7
2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Do you sometimes find yourself in a conversation that deals with the latest pain you have been experiencing or someone else’s painful experience? I would imagine the conversation would sound something like this: “Well Tom, I saw the doctor today and found out that I have a very severe case of arthritis. That is why I have so much pain when trying to bend my fingers. It hurts all the time.”

Or maybe the conversation sounds like this: “The pain is so great. Losing my spouse is intolerable. I don’t know what I will do.” Then you have the ones who try to calm. “I know you are in pain but your spouse is in a better place.” Or “Just pray to God and all will be O.K.”

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5th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

In today’s gospel, twice Jesus amazed the people who were with in the synagogue. First, they “were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.” Then, he further amazed his audience by casting out a unclean spirit from a man in the assembly.

It was the practice in those days for the scribes to teach by offering the instruction of others. Instead of asserting their own insights, they would say, “The rabbis have said this about that scriptural passage.” Jesus amazed his listeners by offering his own experience and understanding of scripture. It became apparent to them that his authority rose from his inner conviction about the truth of what he said. His magnetism wasn’t dependent on clever ways of mouthing what others had said or taught. His messages came from his own mind and heart, which were in constant touch with God.

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4th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

At a glance, the message found in these readings is simple enough: repent. Yet, how often do we give serious thought to this advice? I suspect that most parishioners here have not in the past eight years celebrated the sacrament of reconciliation. If you are one of them, do you see the need to repent or not?

Whatever your thoughts on the matter of sin and repentance may be, I suggest that we step out of our usual mindset and rethink what the message truly is. As Jesus said, “repent, and believe in the gospel.” They go hand in hand.

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3rd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »