For the third week in a row, I find myself beginning a blog article by mentioning the conflict between Israel and Hamas (see “Escalating Conflict,” 10/10/23 and “The Importance of Building Relationships,” 10/17/23). The situation in Israel is important in and of itself but my referring to it three weeks in a row is more …
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AEzekiel 18:25-28Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (6a)Philippians 2:1-11Matthew 21:28-32October 1, 2023 – Respect Life Sunday Through the prophet Ezekiel the Lord is speaking with his people. They say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” They are in exile in Babylon. They feel they are being punished for the sins of …
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The right to choose one’s religion is a basic human right. Yet Christians (and people of other religions) have faced persecution since Jesus Christ walked on this earth. Jesus himself was persecuted. Until Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., Christians faced repeated persecution, even death. The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity. …
I write this during the second week of our Easter season. It is a season of resurrection. Thus, it is a season of life. If we are to enter into eternal life in the resurrection, we must first be good custodians of life in this world. After all, Jesus says, “His master said to him, …
Last week I wrote about how our lives can be superficial (“We Need to Look Into Our Hearts”). Today I would like to talk about how being superficial relates to problems in the world today. It starts with the question that if we are superficial, without depth, do we have a sense of right and …
October is Respect Life Month. Life is a precious gift from God. Life must be cherished from the moment it begins at conception and continues until it ends naturally and at every point in between. Today is October 31st, the last day of the month. As I reflected this weekend on possible ideas for this …
In our gospel reading today, Jesus frees people from illnesses. On the Cross, Jesus frees us from our sins. In the United States of America, today we celebrate another time of freedom. Today is July 4th. It is the anniversary of when the colonists declared their independence from England. Why did they declare their independence? …
In its Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision released last week (June 24, 2022), the United States Supreme Court did what prolife advocates were hoping for. They overturned Roe vs. Wade. I found my heart heavy with the news. I am certainly prolife but I worry about how much negative response there will be …
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 (see 5a)Galatians 5:1, 13-18Luke 9:51-62June 26, 2022 Today’s gospel passage begins a new section in Luke’s gospel that will continue until the time for Jesus’ Passion draws near. Jesus “resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem.” Jesus is making a physical …
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Each year during the month of October the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life month. Life is always precious from the moment of conception till natural death. We need to respect life and promote the dignity of all life throughout the year. October is a time when we focus and concentrate those …
