Mission
The Magnificat of Mary
08/15/10 04:34
We can learn much from the way Mary responded to God’s call. She didn’t say, “Who me, Lord? Are you sure you have the right person? I’m too young, too poor, too unsophisticated.” But, instead of offering excuses, she offered up herself. “Be it done unto me,” she said, “according to thy word.” Read More...
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Witnessing to Our Families
07/08/09 10:16
“ . . . as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10: 1-7)
If each of us has three children and each of them has three children and so on for one generation after another within five generations, we'll have 243 heirs. In seven generations, we're talking about 2,187 souls. All influenced to some degree by our lives, prayers and example. Read More...
If each of us has three children and each of them has three children and so on for one generation after another within five generations, we'll have 243 heirs. In seven generations, we're talking about 2,187 souls. All influenced to some degree by our lives, prayers and example. Read More...
Casting About
04/17/09 09:51
“He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find.” (John 21: 1-14)
Fishing was what the apostles knew best. But they were casting about in the wrong direction.
Sometimes the thing we do best is the worst thing we can do. Doing the same thing over and over will get you the same results every time. Trying harder isn’t necessarily the answer, either. Extra effort only works only if you’re doing the right thing. To achieve extraordinary results, you have to do something out of the ordinary. If you want different results, you have to do things differently. You have to pray differently. You have to be open to what God is calling you to do. And He may be telling you to get out of the boat. Read More...
Fishing was what the apostles knew best. But they were casting about in the wrong direction.
Sometimes the thing we do best is the worst thing we can do. Doing the same thing over and over will get you the same results every time. Trying harder isn’t necessarily the answer, either. Extra effort only works only if you’re doing the right thing. To achieve extraordinary results, you have to do something out of the ordinary. If you want different results, you have to do things differently. You have to pray differently. You have to be open to what God is calling you to do. And He may be telling you to get out of the boat. Read More...
Preaching the Gospel
04/11/09 06:53
“He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16: 1-7)
As someone once said, “Faith isn’t taught; it’s caught.” Setting a good example in our every day lives is the first way to fulfill today’s message.
We proclaim the gospel each time we observe the rituals and traditions of the Church, attend Mass, participate in the Sacraments and pray something as simple as grace before meals. We proclaim the Gospel message when we display religious statues, church calendars and religious pictures; when we play spiritual music in our homes; when we wear medals or crucifixes; and mail out religious Christmas cards. Read More...
As someone once said, “Faith isn’t taught; it’s caught.” Setting a good example in our every day lives is the first way to fulfill today’s message.
We proclaim the gospel each time we observe the rituals and traditions of the Church, attend Mass, participate in the Sacraments and pray something as simple as grace before meals. We proclaim the Gospel message when we display religious statues, church calendars and religious pictures; when we play spiritual music in our homes; when we wear medals or crucifixes; and mail out religious Christmas cards. Read More...
Jesus Leaves Nazareth
01/05/09 05:57
“Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.” (Matthew 4: 12-17, 22-35)
In today’s Gospel Jesus steps out of His comfort zone. He sets aside his carpenter’s tools, says good-bye to family and friends and leaves his boyhood home, the secluded Galilean village of Nazareth. Located on the southeast slope of a hollow, pear-shaped basin, Nazareth is protected by limestone hills that rise “like the edge of a shell to guard it from intrusion." But Jesus refuses to remain safe and secure. All His life He has prepared to take this next step. Read More...
In today’s Gospel Jesus steps out of His comfort zone. He sets aside his carpenter’s tools, says good-bye to family and friends and leaves his boyhood home, the secluded Galilean village of Nazareth. Located on the southeast slope of a hollow, pear-shaped basin, Nazareth is protected by limestone hills that rise “like the edge of a shell to guard it from intrusion." But Jesus refuses to remain safe and secure. All His life He has prepared to take this next step. Read More...
We Are Called By Name
12/23/08 10:59
“ . . . they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of the father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.’ (Luke 1: 57-66)
In the Old Testament era, names were carefully chosen for their literal and symbolic meaning. For example, the name Zacharias meant “Yahweh Remembers” and the name Elizabeth meant “The Oath of God.” Both names referred to the covenant that God had formed with this devout, but now elderly couple. When their marriage was finally blessed with a son, God Himself named the boy John, which meant, “God is gracious.” The boy’s name would serve as a permanent reminder of his miraculous birth and as a sign that he was destined for greatness.
Likewise, many Christians name their children after Biblical figures or saints in the hope that they will be inspired to model their lives after the person whose name they bear. In fact, a name is a significant factor in shaping one’s personality, affecting how we act and how others react to us.
Read More...
In the Old Testament era, names were carefully chosen for their literal and symbolic meaning. For example, the name Zacharias meant “Yahweh Remembers” and the name Elizabeth meant “The Oath of God.” Both names referred to the covenant that God had formed with this devout, but now elderly couple. When their marriage was finally blessed with a son, God Himself named the boy John, which meant, “God is gracious.” The boy’s name would serve as a permanent reminder of his miraculous birth and as a sign that he was destined for greatness.
Likewise, many Christians name their children after Biblical figures or saints in the hope that they will be inspired to model their lives after the person whose name they bear. In fact, a name is a significant factor in shaping one’s personality, affecting how we act and how others react to us.
Read More...
Using Our God-given Talents
12/06/08 09:09
“ . . . freely ye received, freely give.” (Matthew 9:35-10:8)
Every individual has received a unique blend of talents that we are meant to share with others. Our mission in life is written into our genes; it’s something we’re predisposed to do because of our special traits and interests. It’s something that holds us in thrall, a powerful force that compels us to act in a certain way because, like nothing else in life, it fulfills us. Even when our efforts falter, there’s a sense of elation for having tried coupled with a firm resolve to do better the next time.
Our talent can only give us a small glimmer of what we are capable of doing. We also need the opportunity, the means and the courage to pursue our goals. Read More...
Every individual has received a unique blend of talents that we are meant to share with others. Our mission in life is written into our genes; it’s something we’re predisposed to do because of our special traits and interests. It’s something that holds us in thrall, a powerful force that compels us to act in a certain way because, like nothing else in life, it fulfills us. Even when our efforts falter, there’s a sense of elation for having tried coupled with a firm resolve to do better the next time.
Our talent can only give us a small glimmer of what we are capable of doing. We also need the opportunity, the means and the courage to pursue our goals. Read More...
Going Ahead of Jesus
10/18/08 09:18
“Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10: 1-9)
Normally, we speak about following in the footsteps of Jesus. But, there are times when we must go before Him. Like the 72 disciples, who went before the Lord, we must be motivated to go out ahead of Jesus in order to prepare His way.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told His disciples they were being sent out "like lambs among wolves," carrying "no money bag, no sack, no sandals," relying solely on the hospitality of strangers.
After being told that they could expect to encounter rejection, the disciples still put themselves at risk. Read More...
Normally, we speak about following in the footsteps of Jesus. But, there are times when we must go before Him. Like the 72 disciples, who went before the Lord, we must be motivated to go out ahead of Jesus in order to prepare His way.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus told His disciples they were being sent out "like lambs among wolves," carrying "no money bag, no sack, no sandals," relying solely on the hospitality of strangers.
After being told that they could expect to encounter rejection, the disciples still put themselves at risk. Read More...
King Herod Seeks Jesus
09/25/08 01:02
Few of us will ever have occasion to become whistleblowers but we all have a duty to express our ideas on the vital issues of the day. We can enter the public arena of ideas and challenge the high and mighty by simply entering a polling booth. Read More...
Empowering the Twelve
09/24/08 12:58
Like the apostles, we have been hand-picked by Jesus. He has already decided that we have all that we need to accomplish our mission: a humble, trusting spirit and compassion for others. Those are the hallmarks of a servant leader. Read More...
The Fishing Bucket
07/31/08 08:43
“And it came to pass: when Jesus had finished these parables, he passed from thence.” (Matthew 13: 47-53)
In telling the parable of the fishermen, Jesus was preparing His disciples to become fishers of men. Their goal was to cast their net wide and deep. They were to leave it to Him to be the judge on the last day. In some versions of the Bible, Jesus said that on that day, the net will be hauled ashore where He will toss away the bad and put the good into “vessels” - - or “buckets,” in some translations.
The word “buckets” reminded me of a recent movie, called “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The two men play the roles of terminally ill hospital patients, who have only two things in common: they share the same hospital room and the same death sentence.
But Morgan Freeman has prepared a bucket list, a list of things he wished he could have accomplished before “kicking the bucket.” Nicholson discovers the list and adds his own wishes to it. Before long Nicholson has egged Freeman on and the two have rushed from the hospital, determined to achieve everything they had dreamed of one day doing. The film becomes a journey of friendship, self-renewal and even redemption.
Well, we all have a bucket list, our destiny in life; and it’s never too late to seek it. Read More...
In telling the parable of the fishermen, Jesus was preparing His disciples to become fishers of men. Their goal was to cast their net wide and deep. They were to leave it to Him to be the judge on the last day. In some versions of the Bible, Jesus said that on that day, the net will be hauled ashore where He will toss away the bad and put the good into “vessels” - - or “buckets,” in some translations.
The word “buckets” reminded me of a recent movie, called “The Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The two men play the roles of terminally ill hospital patients, who have only two things in common: they share the same hospital room and the same death sentence.
But Morgan Freeman has prepared a bucket list, a list of things he wished he could have accomplished before “kicking the bucket.” Nicholson discovers the list and adds his own wishes to it. Before long Nicholson has egged Freeman on and the two have rushed from the hospital, determined to achieve everything they had dreamed of one day doing. The film becomes a journey of friendship, self-renewal and even redemption.
Well, we all have a bucket list, our destiny in life; and it’s never too late to seek it. Read More...
Jesus' Genealogy
07/29/08 12:30
We all have a sacred duty to act as good stewards of the land – to pass onto to future generations the quality of life that we received as a gift from our ancestors.
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Peter Is Rebuked
07/29/08 12:25
No one else can do our soul work for us. Only we can do the praying and meditating that is necessary to discover our mission in life. Read More...
Hope of the World
07/29/08 11:36
If we are to be persuasive witnesses of the Gospel message, our daily lives must be exemplars of the one thing Jesus gave to everyone He encountered, and that is, "hope." The Gospels are called the Good News because they are positive, affirming, uplifting and hope-filled. So must we be. Read More...
Called By Name
07/29/08 11:29
Finding our mission in life can take years of trial and error, especially if we have more than one strong suit. It’s not uncommon for college students to change majors, for executives to change careers and for people of faith to change ministries. They keep on keeping on until they find the one thing that truly energizes them. Read More...
John's Disciples
07/28/08 07:22
The Bible tells us, and our own experience confirms, those who discover their purpose in life accomplish great things in God's name Read More...
Life's Crooked Path
06/17/08 06:09
Many of the people we encounter along life's crooked path may never get to meet Him, if they are not motivated by our example to learn more about our faith. Our lifestyle, values and beliefs must be in accord with Jesus' message. Read More...