In today’s gospel, Jesus says “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  And, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  We have heard these words, over and over, and they are the foundation of our belief system, our faith. Yet, they pose…

Today’s readings begin with Simeon, a priest known for renovating the house of God. This relates to St Francis, on his feast day, to whom God said, “Go and repair my house, which, as you see, is falling completely to ruin.”  Francis, who lived in the 13th century, began with  physical labor, repairing one church…

Today’s gospel asks the question, “Who is Jesus?”  He wants to know how we define our relationship with Him.  When I take my mom to a doctor’s appointment, the medical staff asks me, “How are you related to the patient?”  I say, “I’m her son.”  Essentially, I came from her, they may even notice a…

Today we remember one of Jesus’ greatest miracles, the feeding of the 5000, an important story we see recorded in all four gospels.  One of the Greek words for Miracle is “Semeion” (say-mee-on) which translates to “Sign.”  Think of each miracle as a road sign that points to heaven.   How does Jesus use THIS miracle…

Happy Father’s Day!  In today’s readings we see the ups and downs of the lives of a prophets, sent by God to be His messengers.  On this special day, let’s compare prophets and fathers, their journeys, and their relationship with God. The first similarity between prophets and fathers is they are both called to a…

In our reading from Exodus, Moses is conversing with God about the future of his people and their relationship with Him.  Moses says, “Accompany us in life.  This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.”  This is an example of how we invite God into…

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers!  The concept that “Mother knows best,” in all matters related to her children, has been around almost as long as mothers have, and seems to be part of God’s design for motherhood.  A mother is called to combine a life of frequent multitasking, remembering birthdays, doctor appointments, and…

Have you ever experienced the chaos of an overcrowded airport?  Early one morning, I was in a busy airport that had a mix of gates and shops, all in the same area.  While I’m in line to board the plane surrounded by people, I suddenly realize, my line isn’t moving towards the jetway, because I’m…

As we approach the midpoint of Lent, we travel with the Israelites through the barren desert, and with Jesus and his disciples into the hostile land of Samaria.  These readings help us get to know God, his wisdom, mercy, and Fatherly love. In the reading from Exodus, the people are suffering, they’ve run out of…

We made it through Superbowl Sunday and we are headed into Lent. Today, I am to bridgethe gap between the two. As we prepare for Ash Wednesday and our “spiritual springcleaning” during Lent, we read some of the most intense scripture in the bible, setting a highbar to aim for as we work on our…