Weekly Reflections

Tom Schmidt In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus say three times, “Peace be with you.” This was a common greeting, but the disciples were hiding in fear so they needed reassurance. Jesus gives them that reassurance in three ways: his resurrection, forgiveness of sins, and a blessing for future disciples. The disciples had seen Jesus […]

Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. – John 20:1-9 Find some time in your week, perhaps at a mealtime, to have meaningful conversations with loved ones centered around the Sunday Mass readings. You may start with reading from the Bible […]

At the start of Palm Sunday Mass, we hear of people greeting Jesus with palm branches and praise. Later, we read the whole story of how Jesus died. It starts with Jesus giving us himself in the Eucharist (which we celebrate on Holy Thursday). Then we hear about Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross […]

In our first reading, the prophet Isaiah relays God’s message, “see, I am doing something new!” The Psalm heralds the great and joyful things God has and will do for us. St. Paul writes of “forgetting what lies behind” and “straining forward. toward the prize of God’s upward calling, in Christ Jesus.” The Gospel has […]

This week’s readings are bursting with the goodness of God. A God who not only provides his people with food for the journey (manna) but restores them to their own fruitful land. A God who delivers from fear and shame all those who look to him. A God who reconciles and makes new. A God […]

In this week’s readings we hear about the mercy of God. In the first reading, God sees the suffering of his people enslaved in Egypt, and comes to rescue them through Moses. The Psalm repeats, “The Lord is kind and merciful.” In the Gospel, Jesus explains that God does not kill off the unjust but […]

Our First Reading at Mass tells of the covenant (agreed upon relationship) God makes with Abram. While in a trance-like state, Abram is promised numerous descendants and land to be their home. It was years before Abram’s “barren” wife did have a single son, and the dispersions from and struggles to retain the Holy Land […]

By Tami Urcia Mental healthcare professionals will tell you that constantly looking back on the past leads to depression and constantly looking toward the future causes anxiety. God’s grace is not in the future. God’s grace is not in the past. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which […]

Tami Urcia We find ourselves in the midst of a short, seven and a half week stint of Ordinary Time. It can seem like we are somewhat lost in time – no longer in the Christmas season and not yet in the throes of Lent. How can we not grow stagnant in our walk of […]

Tom Schmidt In Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, he has only four blessings and he adds four woes. Did you notice that all the things that we work forty or more hours a week to give to our family are considered “woes”? So is Jesus saying we should not have savings for the future, food […]

Tom Schmidt For a humble guy, St. Paul really tells it like it is. Paul lists those witnesses who actually saw the risen Jesus, last and least of these being Paul himself. Now we are used to thinking of Paul as one of the greatest apostles, even though we know he once persecuted Christians. So […]

Tami Urcia In the old tradition of the Church, the Christmas season was celebrated up until this day, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. While current calendars have us taking down our trees at the Baptism of the Lord, today s Feast still holds great significance. Jesus ’ parents were faithful to God […]

Tom Schmidt In the first reading, Ezra gets a strange reaction from the people to whom he reads the book of the law. First they lie down, with faces to the ground, and then they all are weeping. Remember the background of this reading. The people of Israel had returned from exile and needed to […]

Tom Schmidt The Gospel reading for this Sunday is not only the first miracle in John’s Gospel—it is also John’s first mention of Jesus’ mother. I used to find it odd that he addressed her as “Woman.” But in that time the word was more respectful; it could even be affectionate. Jesus does help as […]

The practice of a jubilee year has ancient roots. In 1300, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee, a year set aside to encourage the faithful to embark on pilgrimages, to repent of their sins and forgive the sins of others, and to renew a focus on the spiritual life. Since then the Church […]

As we begin 2025, we find ourselves in a Jubilee Year. The practice of a Jubilee Year has ancient roots with our Jewish brothers, and the practice is described in the Book of Leviticus, Chapter 25. For Catholics, Pope Boniface VIII instituted the first Christian Jubilee in 1300 as a year set aside to encourage […]

Tom Schmidt Did the first reading from Isaiah sound familiar? We also hear it on the first Sunday of Advent every few years. I suppose it could be a reminder that John the Baptist appears at the beginning of the Advent/Christmas season and at the end. In Advent we were preparing for Jesus’ coming at […]

By Tom Schmidt A rather liberal priest was teasing one of the women of the parish, asking, “How do we know the Wise Men weren’t Wise Women?” She answered, “If they were, they’d have brought bottles, diapers, and a bassinet, instead of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” The gifts, of course, are symbols of who Jesus […]

By Kathryn Mulderink “But they did not understand what he said to them.” Mary and Joseph have just experienced every parent’s worst nightmare: their son was missing for THREE DAYS, as they searched and asked and retraced the steps of their journey. Imagine their relief when they returned to the Temple and saw him at […]

Tom Schmidt There is a Christmas song that says of Bethlehem: “Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light.” Though today it has many modern homes and buildings, you can still see that it is part of “the hill country…of Judah.” (Lk 1:39) It is not too far from En Kerem, where John the […]

Tom Schmidt While Advent is a beautiful time to prepare for the coming of the Lord, we often get so caught up in all the things we do to prepare for Christmas that we forget Advent all together. The readings remind us that in spite of the stress we may feel thinking about how close […]

I am the Handmaid of the Lord By Kathryn Mulderink Adam and Eve were created without any sin. This means that they were not burdened by selfishness or fear or unmet needs. God created the whole universe and placed them in the beautiful Garden and walked with them in the cool of the evening. He […]