My nephew is a sophomore in high school. He plays football. He admits he’s not the most athletic guy on the team. But he’s okay with that. He just likes being on the team and working hard at it. This season he took quite a beating on the scout team playing against the...

The widow of Zaraphath and her son were starving.  There was a famine in the land, announced by Elijah because of the idolatry of wicked King Ahab.  For six months it hadn’t rained a drop.  Elijah also was hungry and thirsty when he arrived at her town and saw her...

All four of the Gospels report that Jesus restored sight to the blind.  It appears that Jesus did so on multiple occasions.  Only Mark’s Gospel gives the name of one of these blind men:  Bartimaeus, a name which means “honorable son.”  Mark goes out of his way to...

Two of the disciples come to Jesus. They’ve got a request. “Jesus, when you make it big and we know you will we’d really appreciate if you could name us as vice presidents of your organization?” For whatever reason they thought they were entitled to that. And when the...

I heard this story a while back and it really got my thinking. It was at the peak of the rioting and looting that erupted in the wake of the killing of George Floyd a black man at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. They had blockaded the 35 W bridge for...

A little bit about the Gospel story for today. As they would often do the Pharisees approach Jesus with a question. The question is a set up. They’re using it as bate to trap Jesus. To gain the upper hand. To take control. So, they ask Jesus. “Is it lawful for a...

When I was first ordained, I thought it would be a good idea if I took a time management course. Those of you who know me well might say, “Good luck n that.” Yep, I’m the guy who still tries to squeeze ten pounds of work into a five-pound bag and it doesn’t always...

Today’s first reading from Isaiah got my attention.  You may remember it from Palm Sunday: it is a prophecy of the Passion of Christ.  But the thing that especially caught my attention is that today, the reading starts mid-verse.  The verse actually begins, “The Lord...

60% of the Gospel is healing stories and today is one of them. And about the miracles that Jesus performs, he didn’t perform miracles to prove anything or impress anybody. He performed then simply because he saw a need and compassion moved him to do something about...

I once heard a line that goes like this. “We can do all the right things all day long but daily be losing our souls.” And then, “We can do holy things all day long without becoming holy.”  How is that possible? Why would that be? Let’s check out the Gospel story for...