2nd Monday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “‘Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?’”—Mk 2:18-19 Jesus cleverly picked a wedding as an example of inappropriate fasting. Many of us choose to fast from […]
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit…But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.’”—1 Cor 12:4, 11 Paul taught that spiritual gifts (healing, prophecy, deeds, faith, discernment and more) are from the Spirit, manifest the Spirit, and […]
First Saturday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”—Mk 2:17 For the proud and haughty, these words of Christ will be rejected. They will reject being called a sinner. So they walk away from the mercy of God. It is only when our head is bowed and our heart is softened […]
St. Anthony
From today’s Scripture: “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven.’”—Mk 2:5 Over and over again in the Scriptures the blind see, the lame walk, the paralyzed move freely, the dead are raised. It takes great faith, and so many seem to have that kind of faith. Faith […]
First Thursday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “The Holy Spirit says: O, that today you would hear his voice, ‘harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.’”—Heb 3:7-8 We need to have a listening mind and heart on the journey with Jesus. The Holy Spirit speaks often through a friend who speaks the truth. I find the Spirit speaks […]
First Wednesday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.”—Mk 1:31 This is not a passage about how women should serve! It is all about the tenderness of Jesus’ response when he finds someone overcome by sickness and his immediate reaction to raise […]
First Tuesday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “For it is fitting that…he should make the leader of their salvation perfect through suffering.”—Heb 2:10 I have an unusual habit. Each day I walk “the way of love” (Way of the Cross) and I am made aware of the cost of love. Imagine how Jesus’ sufferings, done with total love, saved […]
A NEW BISHOP FOR A CHANGING CHURCH
The bishop of Knoxville has a message for those who live and serve in the rural areas of the United States: “You are important!” Bishop Mark Beckman was ordained the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville on July 26, 2024. Nicknamed the “Bishop of the Mountains,” he is no stranger to the rural areas […]
First Monday in Ordinary Time
From today’s Scripture: “As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen.”—Mk 1:16 Simon and Andrew were fishermen. They weren’t the Harvard graduates or the celebrities of their time; they were ordinary people with normal jobs trying to provide for […]
Baptism of the Lord
From today’s Scripture: “And a voice came from the heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”—Lk 3:22 It was a Friday afternoon. I received a call from the mother of a six-year old who was dying of lung cancer. She begged me to come to the hospital right away. She […]
