Scripture

February 17, 2021

Feb. 28: Second Sunday of Lent

Some years ago, I was on a plane when my seat partner and I struck up a conversation. When he discovered I was a priest, our conversation turned to religion.

February 17, 2021

Feb. 21: First Sunday of Lent

With this Sunday the season of Lent is in full swing. As some have commented, we seem to have been immersed in a yearlong Lent of the pandemic — a time of forced reflection, a time when all of us are anxious for relief and renewed life.

February 03, 2021

Feb. 14: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The readings for today focus on the experience of leprosy in the biblical world. There are certain diseases that at a particular time and in a particular culture or society take on a symbolic meaning of dire threat. We know about this in our world today.

February 03, 2021

Feb. 7: Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

How many times over the past several months have we heard the laments of those who lost a loved one to the coronavirus: beloved parents dying alone in nursing homes; sudden death striking down an apparently healthy spouse.

January 20, 2021

Jan. 31: Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is Mark’s description of the first action of Jesus’ public ministry. It is noteworthy that each evangelist’s portrayal of Jesus’ mission begins with a different scene, reflective of the accents they give to Jesus in the body of their Gospels.

January 20, 2021

Jan. 24: Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Some important liturgical events surround this Sunday. In 2019, Pope Francis designated the third Sunday of Ordinary Time as “Word of God Sunday,” a time for the whole church to reflect on the power of God’s Word that comes to us in the Scriptures. The images and narratives and profound teachings of the Bible — particularly its proclamation about Jesus — are the source and ongoing nourishment of our Christian faith.

January 06, 2021

Jan. 17: Second Sunday of Ordinary Time

In a book about the Benedictine community at Collegeville, Minnesota, titled “Cloister Walk,” Kathleen Norris describes the difference between a call and a choice. In our Western society we prize choice — making our own decision about where we will go to college (if we can get in), about our job (if we can find one), about our future spouse (if we meet the perfect candidate) and a lot of other things. Frank Sinatra’s famous croon “I did it my way” has a strong appeal.

January 06, 2021

Jan. 10: Baptism of the Lord

The Gospel passage for this Sunday stands at the very beginning of Mark and is typical of this evangelist’s no-nonsense style. We will hear readings from this Gospel throughout this liturgical year.

December 16, 2020

Dec. 27: Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

The poignant scenes appear on our television screens every day. Children touching hands of an elderly loved one with a window of a nursing home in between. Disappointed families trying to draw together through Zoom when sharing a Christmas dinner is a risk. The tensions sparked from being confined in close quarters even with people we love. All of us can add experiences of our own to the list of conditions endured during this unusual time.

December 16, 2020

Jan. 3: Epiphany of the Lord

Malka Simkovich, who directs the Catholic-Jewish studies program at Catholic Theological Union, has documented the tendencies toward universalism in the writings of Judaism during the period roughly parallel with the life of Jesus and the formation of the New Testament. Often people contrast what is termed the ethnocentric tendency of Judaism with the universal aspirations of Christianity. In short, Christianity is expansive and inclusive; Judaism, exclusive and focused inward. But, as is often the case, such generalizations can distort the truth that is more complex.
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