The month of May in North America brings new life and joy through the warm spring weather and the blossoming of the plants and trees. The whole world seems to wake up suddenly from a long cold...
Controversy and debate are not something new in the church. As we hear in today’s first reading even in the earliest church there was “much debate.” Luke begins this chapter by presenting the...
The gospel today is talking about vineyards. Vineyards are like a garden - sort of. Unlike a garden where you can grow all kinds of flowers and vegetables, vineyards grow one thing: grapes - and...
In John’s Gospel just before his passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus prepares his apostles for his imminent physical separation from them with prayer, peace, and a sign of sacrificing service....
Today is the Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena, along with St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy! As a feast day, there are readings specific to the occasion, taken from the First...
Today’s gospel also happens to be, in part, the gospel for this coming Sunday - the 5th Sunday of Easter (Year A). The gospel contains the verse we all remember from the King James translation...
There are many theories about St. Mark’s life and journeys. But we do know that the Gospel of St. Mark is the earliest of the four Gospels. One of the oldest traditions about Mark says that he...
Light and darkness are important themes in John’s Gospel right from the beginning up to the end. Today Jesus says very clearly that his mission is to bring the light to those who are in darkness. It...
In the gospel reading for today we heard Jesus tell some bystanders who wanted Jesus to plainly say that he was the Messiah. Jesus replied: “But you do not believe because you are not among my...
In today’s first reading we continue to hear the story of the conversion of a Gentile, named Cornelius. Peter’s outreach to non-Jews causes some controversy for the early church who saw themselves...
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear the first of three different accounts of the conversion of St. Paul (Acts 9:1-20; 22:3-16; 26:2-18). Paul was a zealous persecutor of...
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear how the early church continues its mission despite persecutions. Philip is one of the seven who was appointed with Stephen and the...