Today we listen to Matthew’s version of the first sending-out of the disciples. It is the same story we heard last Sunday from Luke. Being sent out to proclaim the Good News is at the heart of what...
Sent Out – Mission
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Friar Reflection
The Path to Blessing
Yesterday, the first reading was the story of Jacob wrestling with the divine. In yesterday’s reflection, in part, we considered that some modern scholars interpret the episode as an inner...
Championship Wrestling
Growing up in Florida in the early 1960s, one of the staples of Saturday television programming was “Championship Wrestling from Florida” with Gordon Solie as host and play-by-play announcer. The...
Stairway to Heaven
Today’s first reading from Genesis is the story of Jacob’s ladder or stairway. This ladder reaches from the ground to the heavens. God’s “messengers” or angels were “going up and down on” this...
Our Homeland – The Way
I was not supposed to be here today. But due to a small health problem and a quick switch of the schedule, here I am with you, giving thanks to our Lord for this civil holiday, remembering our...
The Faith and Trust of Thomas
St. Thomas gets sort of a bad rap in the general Catholic saint culture. He had been tagged in the world as “Doubting Thomas”. But if we look at all the instances when Thomas is mentioned in the...
Jesus the Exorcist
In today’s Gospel Jesus performs an exorcism and drives demons out of two people possessed by these demons. The story is rich with symbolism. The story takes place in the territory of the...
Trust, Confidence, and Faith
When Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount, he starts down to the lake. Along the way several events happen that point to the importance of trust, confidence, and faith: -he performs several more...
Following Jesus
What is a disciple of Jesus? A disciple a student and one who follows him. Jesus invites us to follow him and tells us his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. “Come to me, all you who labor and...
Love of God
Today we celebrate the love of God on this Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading: “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy...
The Dangers of Despair and Disdain
Abram reached his old age as a man of wealth, but he was a nomad and childless. He had many material goods but no land to call his own and no children. He felt that his life was a failure in regard...
False Prophets
Jesus gives us an important warning in today’s Gospel: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing.” It seems the proliferation of podcasts, tweets, and other social media has...