(1Tm.3:14-16; Ps.111:1-6; Lk.7:31-35) “God’s wisdom is vindicated by all who accept it.” “The Church of the living God” is the “pillar and bulwark of truth,” as Paul tells us. And it is those who live the faith, “professing it” with all their beings, who prove its truth. “Wonderful, indeed, is the mystery of our faith”; no greater grace or wisdom could we hope to attain. “He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed in throughout...
Sep 19, 2023•5 min
(1Tm.3:1-13; Ps.101:1-3,5-6; Lk.7:11-17) “He who walks in the way of integrity shall be in my service.” “God has visited His people.” What the people said when Jesus raised the widow’s son from the dead should be said of us all as we pass through this world. That same love that moved Jesus to pity upon seeing the tears of this poor mother should move us all. To all we should say, “Do not cry.” To all we should step forward with the love of Christ fixed firmly in our hearts and bring the same gra...
Sep 18, 2023•5 min
(1Tm.2:1-8; Ps.28:2,6-9; Lk.7:1-10) “Offer prayers with blameless hands held aloft.” We must pray. We must petition the Lord for the good of the world, that the good of our souls, the Lord Jesus Christ, might be known to all. If we do not intercede, if we do not seek the healing of a people sick with sin, who shall do so? The Lord desires “all men to be saved and come to know the truth.” It is our responsibility, it is our call, to bring the love and forgiveness and healing of our Lord forth. “H...
Sep 17, 2023•6 min
(1Tm.1:1-2,12-14; Ps.16:1-2,5,7-8,11; Lk.6:39-42) “Remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” The answer to Jesus’ question to His disciples: “Can a blind man act as guide to a blind man?” is obvious. No. It must be a man of sight, of vision, who leads those who are blind, who are without understanding. Paul has become a prime example of one who is well able to lead others. In our first reading he speaks to Timothy, hi...
Sep 14, 2023•5 min
(Col.3:1-11; Ps.145:2-3,9-13; Lk.6:20-26) “Set your heart on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God’s right hand.” Is this not the central message of the Lord’s beatitudes: “Be intent on things above rather than on things of earth.” For how could we be blest in poverty, hunger, and weeping if our hearts are set on this earth? And how could riches and fullness and laughter be curses except that they do not find their origin in heaven? Paul makes it explicit: “You have died!”...
Sep 12, 2023•5 min
(Col.2:6-15; Ps.145:1-2,8-11; Lk.6:12-19) “Coming down from the mountain with them, He stopped at a level stretch where there were many of His disciples.” In our gospel, the Lord has gone “to the mountain to pray, spending the night in communion with God.” Then at daybreak He chose His twelve apostles. On His way back down the mountain He comes upon those who have been waiting for Him, and He takes pity on this “large crowd of people” and reaches out His hand to heal them. Yes, He in whom “the f...
Sep 11, 2023•5 min
(Col.1:24-2:3; Ps.62:6-7,9; Lk.6:6-11) “We admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ.” It is Paul’s desire to see the nations “enriched with full assurance by their knowledge of the mystery of God – namely Christ – in whom every treasure of wisdom and knowledge is hidden.” It is his desire for us all to be filled with this wisdom that is Christ, for it is his call from Christ to bring His Gospel forth to the eyes and ears of the wh...
Sep 10, 2023•6 min
(Col.1:21-23; Ps.54:3-4,6,8; Lk.6:1-5) “Hold fast to faith, be firmly grounded and steadfast in it.” “The Son of Man is Lord,” Lord of the universe, Lord “even of the sabbath.” He is the Word through whom all things have come and it is He who has “achieved reconciliation” for all with God, the Father. We must be presented to God “holy, free of reproach and blame.” We must bow before His Majesty, trust all things to Him, and He will defend our cause. But if we continue to nourish hostility in our...
Sep 08, 2023•5 min
(Col.1:9-14; Ps.98:2-6; Lk.5:1-11) “You will multiply good works of every sort and grow in the knowledge of God.” As Simon Peter and the others “caught such a great number of fish that their nets were at the breaking point,” so shall it be with any Christian who devotes himself to the work and the will of God. But as the apostles “brought their boats to land, left everything, and became His followers,” so we must dedicate our lives entirely to Him if we are to “attain full knowledge of His will ...
Sep 06, 2023•5 min
(Col.1:1-8; Ps.52:10-11; Lk.4:38-44) “And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.” The Word goes forth, bringing healing to the hearts of the faithful. The Word goes forth, ever growing among the people. As “the message of truth, the Gospel… has come to [the Colossians], has borne fruit, and has continued to grow,” so “it has everywhere in the world.” As Jesus has set out “into the open country” to bring “the good news of the reign of God” to all to whom He was sent; as Paul, as Timot...
Sep 05, 2023•5 min
(1Thes.5:1-6,9-11; Ps.27:1,4,13-14; Lk.4:31-37) “Wait for the Lord with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the Lord.” The Word of the Lord has all “authority and power.” The Word of the Lord casts out demons. The Word of the Lord brings light to the soul who seeks Him. In Him we have no fear. He comes, brothers and sisters; yes, He comes… As He entered the synagogue in Galilee and cast out the evil spirit from the man and from the place, so He will come at the end of the age and cast all evi...
Sep 04, 2023•5 min
(1Thes.4:13-18; Ps.96:1,3-5,11-13; Lk.4:16-30) “He comes to rule the earth.” He is coming, and has come. He set us free from the prison of sin when first He came, and will set us free from death when He comes again and “we shall be with the Lord unceasingly.” In our gospel we read of His first coming “to bring glad tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives…” Fulfilling the words of the prophets, He brought “a year of favor from the Lord,” to heal all those who waited for His coming, w...
Sep 03, 2023•5 min
(1Thes.4:9-12; Ps.98:1,7-9; Mt.25:14-30) “Those who have, will get more until they grow rich, while those who have not, will lose even the little they have.” Again, brothers and sisters, we must always grow in the gifts and graces of the Lord, never looking down upon what He gives us as too little (or too much), but ever putting such talents to use that they might produce an abundant yield and bring us to the joys of heaven. “Well done! You are an industrious and reliable servant… Come, share yo...
Sep 01, 2023•5 min
(1Thes.4:1-8; Ps.97:1-2,5-6,10-12; Mt.25:1-13) “God has not called us to immorality but to holiness.” And so, “keep your eyes open” and “make still greater progress” in the path that leads to His kingdom. Your lights shining brightly as you await His return, be ready to enter His marriage feast. “It is God’s will that you grow in holiness,” Paul instructs us in our first reading. “Conduct yourselves in a way pleasing to God” is his message. For there is a day coming on which the Lord will judge ...
Aug 31, 2023•5 min
(1Thes.3:7-13; Ps.90:3-4,12-14,17; Mt.24:42-51) “Stay awake, therefore! You cannot know the day your Lord is coming.” And what is it to stay awake, to be ready, but to do as Paul exhorts the Thessalonians in our first reading: to continue to grow in holiness until that day we meet with the Lord. This is our essential call. Here we are, having been converted to the Lord, having found faith in God as our foundation and been appointed servants by Christ until He should return. We are that “faithful...
Aug 30, 2023•5 min
1Thes.2:9-13; Ps.139:1,7-12; Mt.23:27-32) “Make your lives worthy of the God who calls you to His kingship and glory.” God is our Father, and those who preach “God’s good tidings” love us “as a father does his children,” for their message is “not as the word of men” but truly “the word of God at work within [those] who believe.” Come to the Lord’s table. Eat of His Body, drink of His Blood. Become as He is by His holy Word. Children of light we are called to be, and what is that light but the on...
Aug 29, 2023•6 min
(1Thes.2:1-8; Ps.139:1-6; Mt.23:23-26) “First cleanse the inside of the cup so that its outside may be clean.” The Lord rails against the Pharisees again today, calling them from false practice to genuine faith; and in Paul we again see the paragon of true ministry in the Lord’s Name. In our gospel the Lord calls the Pharisees “frauds,” for they have the appearance of holiness in clothing and posture and minor actions, but inside are “filled with loot and lust.” In our first reading, it is quite...
Aug 28, 2023•5 min
(1Thes.1:2-5,8-10; Ps.149:1-6,9; Mt.23:13-22) “You turned to God from idols, to serve Him who is the living and true God.” Contrast is at the heart of today’s readings again. The faith of the Thessalonians and the inspired preaching of Paul are in distinct opposition to the empty ways and words of the scribes and Pharisees. In our first reading Paul praises the Thessalonians, who are “laboring in love, and showing constancy in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,” telling them, “Throughout every regio...
Aug 27, 2023•5 min
(Ruth 2:1-3,8-11,4:13-17; Ps.128:1-5; Mt.23:1-12) “The greatest among you will be the one who serves the rest.” Today we can contrast the faith of Ruth with the Pharisees’ of Jesus’ time. In our first reading, Ruth says to her mother-in-law Naomi, “Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor.” She puts herself at ready service in all humility, despite the potential dangers that come with being a foreign woman working in a place dominated by men who may n...
Aug 25, 2023•6 min
(Ruth 1:1,3-6,14-16,22; Ps.146:2,5-10; Mt.22:34-40) “Wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” How well our readings harmonize this day. Jesus speaks plainly to the keepers of the law the greatest commandments – total love of God and neighbor – and Ruth puts them into practice for our witness. And our psalm sings the praises of our great God of love, whose care for “the hungry” and “the strangers,” “the fatherless and the wi...
Aug 24, 2023•5 min
(Jgs.9:6-15; Ps.21:2-7; Mt.20:1-16) “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” Jesus, the Son of God and true King, who is first, has made Himself last, and so for His humility will be exalted forever; Abimalech, rebellious son of Gideon, who is least of all his brothers, has made himself first, and so will be humbled for his vain pride. In our first reading Jotham curses his brother Abimalech from the mountaintop as this least of the trees is anointed king after having murdered all ...
Aug 22, 2023•6 min
(Jgs.6:11-24; Ps.85:9,11-14; Mt.19:23-30) “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” The world is at enmity with God. The kingdom of heaven is not as the kingdom of this earth, thus Jesus tells us that “the last shall come first.” For though we pray the Lord’s kingdom come now to this earth, it shall not be fulfilled until “the new age when the Son of Man takes His seat upon a throne befitting His glory.” We must therefore not judge with the m...
Aug 21, 2023•6 min
(Jgs.2:11-19; Ps.106:4,34-37,39-40,43-44; Mt.19:16-22) “They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the Lord.” It is not long before the Israelites break their vows to the Lord, mingling with other nations and worshiping their idols. As soon as the generation which has known Joshua dies out, their children begin to stray. And though the Lord “raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers...
Aug 20, 2023•5 min
(Jos.24:14-29; Ps.16:1-2,5,7-8,11; Mt.19:13-15) “We will serve the Lord, our God, and obey His voice.” Like children we must come before the Lord and extol His holy Name. “Completely and sincerely” we must serve Him and He will place His hands upon our heads and bless us. And we will sing with David of the “fullness of joys in [His] presence, the delights at [His] right hand forever.” We indeed will be as children, and He will be our God. Listen to the words of Jesus: “Let the children come to m...
Aug 18, 2023•5 min
(Jos.24:1-13; Ps.136:1-3,16-18,21-22,24; Mt.19:3-12) “I gave you a land which you had not tilled and cities which you had not built, to dwell in.” All of our lives come to us by the grace of God, “for His mercy endures forever.” It is never by our own hands that anything good is accomplished. As the Lord says to the Israelites, “It was not your sword or your bow,” by which they conquered the nations – emphasizing that it was He who destroyed them – so we must know, too, that it is the Lord who g...
Aug 17, 2023•5 min
(Jos.3:7-11,13-17; Ps.114:1-6; Mt.18:21-19:1) “My heavenly Father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” The forgiveness of sins and the crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land is our theme today. Both are very much one and the same. In our gospel Jesus tells the parable of the merciless servant in order to teach Peter and the apostles of the office of forgiveness which is theirs through his intercession. When one of a king’s officia...
Aug 16, 2023•6 min
(Dt.34:1-12; Ps.66:1-3,5,8,16-17,20; Mt.18:15-20) “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants.” The promise is coming to fulfillment; Moses looks out on the land the Lord so long ago vowed to give the great patriarchs. And though he shall not enter in and dwell there with the people, yet he has confidence that the promise shall be fulfilled. And though after forty years of struggle he will die here at the border, we know he has a greater re...
Aug 15, 2023•6 min
Dt.10:12-22; Ps.147:12-15,19-20; Mt.17:22-27) “In His love for your fathers the Lord was so attached to them as to choose you, their descendants, in preference to all other peoples.” The Israelites are the chosen race, and Jesus the Chosen One of that race. Upon them the blessing rests, and in the Son it is fulfilled. Our first reading tells us that the Lord is a great God, “who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feedi...
Aug 13, 2023•6 min
(Dt.6:4-13; Ps.18:2-4,47,51; Mt.17:14-20) “Praised be the Lord, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.” In our first reading we hear the Shema, the great Commandment of the Mosaic Law – the Lord is God and we must love Him with all our being. Moses exhorts the people “not to forget to the Lord,” who brought them out of slavery in the land of Egypt and is about to bless them abundantly in the Promised Land. Quite graphic is he, and are their practices, in encouraging remembrance of the Lord’s ...
Aug 11, 2023•6 min
(Dt.4:32-40; Ps.77:12-16,21; Mt.16:24-28) “The Son of Man will come with His Father’s glory accompanied by His angels.” The Lord God came to “take a nation for Himself from the midst of another, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with His strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors.” As He came with power to rescue the Israelites from the bonds of Egypt, so He will come at the end of time, and is come now, to save us from this world of sin. Indeed, the Son of Man shall come fu...
Aug 10, 2023•6 min
