In the first reading for today, St. John challenges us with a reality check: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar.” He goes on to emphasize that “whoever loves God must also love his brother.” There is no room here for excuses. We must love our brothers and […]

I met up with a friend recently who just couldn’t stop smiling. She was restless and giddy. She grabbed my arm and said, “I need to share something with you, but you must keep it to yourself. I’m going to be a grandma!” I was so happy for her! We hugged and laughed. She had […]

I was once in a crowded outdoor festival when the sound of gunshots broke through the air. Before I could realize what was happening, the stampede of panicked people had knocked me over and I was on the ground. People kept bumping against me, and I couldn’t stand up. In a moment of desperation, I […]

Today we celebrate what is probably my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving Day, and the Psalm for today seems to echo the gratitude we express in our celebration: “Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.” I have always loved opening my home to family and friends and preparing […]

When my sons go on an out-of-town retreat with their youth group, they look forward to the trip on the bus almost as much as to the retreat weekend itself. There is something wonderful and exciting about embarking on a journey with others. “Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.” The response for today’s […]

We used to live in a house that was surrounded with majestic oak trees, and the one in the front yard was especially beautiful. One day, while it was raining, we heard a big thump and ran to look out the window. We saw our beautiful tree uprooted, lying on the ground. The shallow root […]

In today’s gospel passage Jesus tells us: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Some people might interpret this gospel as if God is like a genie in a bottle, ready to grant our wishes, and end up frustrated saying God does not […]

In today’s gospel we are told that Herod was “greatly perplexed” as he heard of the signs and wonders Jesus’ disciples were performing in his name “and he kept trying to see him.” We know that eventually, during his Passion, he does see him. “Herod was very glad to see Jesus; he had been wanting […]

In today’s gospel we hear Jesus tell us, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This maxim, generally referred to as the “Golden Rule” is shared by most religions and ethical traditions. It is truly a universal concept, one that seems to be an inherent part of our human nature, that […]

Funny how some things change as we get older. It used to be that whenever we received an invitation to a party, we would only need to check if there was a conflict with another event. Other than that, the answer was always yes. We were always ready to have fun with friends, or with […]