My journey through Lent comes to a stopping point. Today I am asked “Do I really believe in the power of prayer?” Queen Esther (Esther C: 12, 14-16,23-25) is in dire straits. She turns to God confidently in prayer. Jesus in Matthew (Matt 7:7-12) insists that if you seek God in prayer, you will be […]

Today is the sequel to everybody’s favorite bible story—Jonah (Jonah 3:1-10). We start today after Jonah has been spewed up on land. Our hero is on a journey to the city of Nineveh announcing his message as he goes. I began to realize that Jonah must have been compelling to elicit such a change in

One line from Isaiah (Is 55:10-11) stood out for me just now in today’s readings: “Giving seed to one who sows”. I got to wondering, just what kind of seed am I sowing in the world? What kind of fruit can be expected of it? Would I be pleased with what grows from what I

Today’s reading from Matthew’s Gospel (Matt25:31-46) spells out the Corporal Works of Mercy. In the excerpt from Leviticus Liv19:1-2,11-18), those admonitions from Jesus are expanded. And then Psalm 19 praises the wisdom of God’s law. All this is a bit overwhelming for me. I know I fall woefully short when measured by the yardstick of

            Today I ask: when I stand naked before God will I feel the need to hide like Adam and Eve? Will I have passed the tests that Jesus passed—greed, self-aggrandizement, taking God and his great love for granted? More likely I will need to throw myself at God’s feet repeating over and over again the

I love the assurance we are given by the prophet Isaiah in today’s reading (Is58:9b-14) “…the Lord will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land.” The response for Psalm 86 is “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.” And Jesus says to Levi, the

            What can I expect to see on my journey toward God? Maybe more importantly, Do I see anything on my journey or am I so caught up in myself that I am blind to what is all around me? Isaiah the great prophet, chastises me for not offering to God what is really wanted. God

Today, Moses, in our excerpt from Deuteronomy, begs us to choose life. As we journey through life, choices abound—some promise riches, fame, love, others demand fidelity, hard work, anonymity. Whatever steps we make; however it impacts ours and those we love’s future, we must always choose life. Moses goes on to say that as we

Ash Wednesday            And we are off! Right at the beginning of Lent, we are given the beautiful reading from Joel 2:12-18. The prophet assures us that the Lord is calling us. “…return to me with your whole heart.” The journey begins. But we are not to make this journey alone. We are to call an assembly,

Overview As in years past, I hope to enrich my Lent by pondering the scriptural readings daily and Sunday for Mass. I am hoping to find something new in them. I am going to strive to forget all the homilies and meditations and books I’ve read so I can view these readings with fresh eyes