Jul 5 – Memorial for St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest St. Anthony (1502-1539) studied medicine at Padua, receiving his doctorate at age 22. Working among the poor in Cremona, he felt called to the religious life. He was ordained at age 26; legend says that angels were seen around the altar at his first Mass.... Continue Reading →
4 July, Sunday — 4th of July
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Eze 2:2-52 Cor 12:7-10Mk 6:1-6 I was given a thorn in the flesh…. to beat me and stop me from getting too proud. Just before Thanksgiving last year, I received word from the United States government that my application for citizenship had finally been approved. It was a surreal feeling,... Continue Reading →
17 April, Saturday — On Doubt And Fear
Acts 6:1-7Jn 6:16-21 It is I. Do not be afraid. There’s an old trope, ‘The devil’s in the details’, that I’ve been ruminating over a lot this last week. Working out the fine print for any life decision is always daunting -- sometimes enough to put you off even pursuing it. Everyone wants the dream.... Continue Reading →
16 April, Friday — Surviving Scarcity
Friday of the 2nd Week of Eastertide Acts 5:34-42Jn 6:1-15 So they picked them up, and filled twelve hampers with scraps left over from the meal of five barley loaves. Scarcity brings out the worst in people’s true characters. All of this was made abundantly clear in 2020 when, during COVID, America found itself facing... Continue Reading →
15 April, Thursday — Finding Courage
Thursday of the 2nd Week of Eastertide Acts 5:27-33Jn 3:31-36 “When they heard this, they became infuriated and wanted to put them to death” It seems like ‘cancel culture’ was a thing even back in the days of the Apostles!! Yesterday, we talked about my difficulty with finding the right words to say to a... Continue Reading →
14 April, Wednesday — Words
Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Eastertide Acts 5:17-26Jn 3:16-21 ”God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not lost but may have eternal life” A close friend announced at Easter that she would not be returning to church after the pandemic is... Continue Reading →
31 March, Wednesday – Judas and Us
Wednesday of Holy Week Isa 50:4-9Mt 26:14-25 “What are you prepared to give me if I hand him over to you?” “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you” – such cold words, bartering one’s soul for a few silver dollars. And then the feigned surprise, “Surely it is... Continue Reading →
30 March, Tuesday – Whose Cause Is It?
Tuesday of Holy Week Isa 49:1-6Jn 13:21-33,36-38 “Amen, amen I say to you, one of you will betray me” Yesterday, we talked about the different kinds of believers and touched briefly on one group — those who subvert Christ’s cause for their own ends. Anyone who has ever volunteered at church can attest to how... Continue Reading →
29 March, Monday – What Kind Of Believer
Monday of Holy Week Isa 42:1-7Jn 12:1-11 “Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?” What is the quality of our worship? And against what yardstick are we to measure this? Those are the questions posed to us as we ponder today’s gospel story of Mary and... Continue Reading →
28 March, Sunday – The Passion Story for kids
Palm Sunday The Gospel is read at the procession with palms before Mass: Mk 11:1-10 Isa 50:4-7Phi 2:6-11Mk 14:1-15:47 Each morning he wakes me to hear, to listen like a disciple. The Lord has opened my ear. My nephew Josh, has started to read and, in the process, is discovering Jesus Christ and the Christian... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 