"I have come into the world as light, to prevent anyone who believes in me from staying in the dark any more." ~ Jn 12:46 (full readings) . Melissa's Reflections: When I read this verse, not only do I think about how the true reality of abortion will continue to be...
"I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture." ~ Jn 10:9 (full readings) . Stephen's Reflections: The Gospel reading today reminds us that Jesus is our shepherd and to enter the gates of Heaven we need to follow Him. In life...
"He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'" ~ Acts 9:4 (full readings) . Brandon's Reflections: Persecution is something that we face in our daily lives because there are always two sides to the story. We live in a city where...
"Be attentive to the Word, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." ~ 2 Pt 1:19 (full readings) . Mary Ellen's Reflections: Last year my husband and I moved to St. Louis after living over 30 years in Belleville,...
"Be attentive to the Word, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." ~ 2 Pt 1:19 (full readings) . Mary Ellen's Reflections: Last year my husband and I moved to St. Louis after living over 30 years in Belleville,...
"Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise." ~ Ps 66:2 (full readings) . Amy's Reflections: Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of His name; proclaim His glorious praise. Say to God, "How tremendous are Your deeds!" We are well...
"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves...
"But Peter and the apostles said in reply, 'We must obey God rather than men.'" ~ Acts 5:29 (full readings) . Kevin's Reflections: Today is a very special day. On April 16th, 1879, Saint Bernadette passed away, and 48 short years later, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was born on April 16th, 1927....
"'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' They paid him thirty pieces of silver." ~ Acts 5:19 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: What did the apostles do when they were set free from prison by the angel of the Lord? When set free, they did the work...
"It was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in His name this man stands before you healed. There is no salvation through anyone else." ~ Acts 4:10-12 (full readings) . Pat's Reflections: As with the Apostles, the healing...
"Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures." ~ Lk 24:45 (full readings) . Jimmy's Reflections: We are 5 days into the Easter Season. Over the last 2 months perhaps you pulled out your Bible to read and meditate on the ministry of Jesus prior to His death. Perhaps you incorporated some scripture...
"Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread." ~ Lk 24:34-35 (full readings) . Lindsey's Reflections: The road to Emmaus and subsequent Supper at Emmaus are depicted in today's Gospel. This passage has been the subject of...
"Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping...
"Keep me safe O God; in you I take refuge. I say to the Lord, you are my Lord, you are my only good. " ~ Ps 16:1-2A (full readings) . Paula's Reflections: Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope. Life brings disappointments, sorrows, and loss. We are sad when a...
"Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end." ~ Jn 13:1 (full readings) . Pastor Steve's Reflections: "Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had...
"Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end." ~ Jn 13:1 (full readings) . Pastor Steve's Reflections: "Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had...
"'What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?' They paid him thirty pieces of silver." ~ Mt 26:15 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: Today's Gospel talks about how Judas collaborated with the chief priests in a plot to betray Jesus. At the minimum, Judas was motivated by financial gain....
"I, the Lord, have called you for justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations." ~ Is 42:6 (full readings). Kevin's Reflections: God is speaking not only to Isaiah in this verse, this is also directed...
"If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." ~ Jn 10:37-38 (full readings) . Pastor Don's...
"Jesus said to them, 'Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.'" ~ Jn 8:58 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: Jesus is called the Prince of Peace, but He does not keep the peace at the cost of telling the truth. Jesus cannot tell a lie. If He...
"The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth." ~ Luke 1:26 (full readings) . Jimmy's Reflections: Angels bring up many thoughts and memories in our lives. Perhaps you learned at a young age to pray to your guardian angel to keep you safe when you went to...
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack." ~ Ps 23:1 (full readings) . Paula's Reflections: The Lenten season. 40 days. A time of healing. A time of spiritual growth. Purification. Cleansing. Forgiveness. Jesus, the second person of the most Holy Trinity, offers His guiding hand. His light shines through...
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for what he does, the Son will do also. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything that he himself does,...
"Therefore, the Jews began to persecute Jesus because he did this on a Sabbath." ~ Jn 5:16 (full readings) . Pastor Steve's Reflections: One day I was in front of my house when my young son came screaming across the yard with a hand on his forehead. He was crying, but...
"He and his whole household thereupon became believers. This was the second sign that Jesus performed." ~ Jn 4:53-54 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: Miracles do not create faith as much as faith creates miracles. Today's Gospel is the second of seven signs that Jesus performs that are highlighted in the Book...
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." ~ Mk 12:30 (full readings) . Shane's Reflections: We Christians refer to Jesus’ quotation of Deuteronomy 6:4-5 as the Great Commandment. The Jewish people refer to it...
"He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word!" ~ Ps 147:15 (full readings) . Jimmy's Reflections: Practice This Line: Praise The Lord! Does that pump you up? While verse 15 is what I chose, verse 1 sets the tone for this Psalm. Praise The Lord When I was in college, PTL was one of the...
"My heavenly Father will treat you in exactly the same way unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." ~ Mt 18:35 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: Forgiveness is difficult. When we are injured (physically, emotionally, or spiritually), we feel the need to even the score. I am thankful...
"Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit." ~ Mt 21:43 (full readings) . Pat's Reflections: Heaven is a Team sport, and LIFE Runners are "a people that will produce its fruit."...
"If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if one should rise from the dead." ~ Lk 16:31 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: In the Gospel today, the rich man from the netherworld begs Abraham to send Lazarus from the dead to warn his...
"Must good be repaid with evil that they should dig a pit to take my life?" ~ Jer 18:20 (full readings) . Kevin's Reflections: The First Reading today is from our son's namesake and special patron, the prophet Jeremiah. Someone once asked me why we chose Jeremiah as a name for our son,...
"The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted." ~Mt 23:11-12 (full readings) . Alice's Reflections: In today’s gospel Jesus has some harsh words to say about the Pharisees and scribes, warning His disciples and the crowds not to...
"But Yours, O Lord, our God, are compassion and forgiveness!" ~ Dan 9:9 (full readings) . Fr. Jonathan's Reflections: Is it possible to be absolutely convicted about the call to protect the unborn and yet to be compassionate towards those who uphold a right to aborting children? The Gospel today would...
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." ~ Mt 7:7 (full readings) . Lisa's Reflections: The prayer of Queen Esther is the focus of today's reading during this first week of Lent. Esther's story is one...
"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" ~ Jer 29:11 (full readings) . Diane's Reflections: Sometimes I find it difficult to live in the hope that the evils in our...
"This is how you are to pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...
"You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart. Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him. Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the...
"Thus says the Lord GOD: Cry out unsparingly, lift up your voice like a trumpet blast; Tell my people their wickedness and the house of Jacob their sins." ~ Isaiah 58:1 (full readings) . Matt's Reflections: The great prophet Isaiah of the Old Testament was at the right place at the...
"What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?" ~ Lk 9:25 (full readings) Father James Dean's Reflections: As the first reading (Deut 30:15-20) indicates, there are two (and only two) paths that we can follow. One leads to life and the other leads to...
"Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?" ~ Mk 8:18 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: In today's Gospel, Jesus was appalled at His disciples' spiritual blindness. They were blinded to the significance of the two multiplications of the loaves and fishes. They were blinded to Who Jesus was....
"He sighed from the depth of His spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." ~ Mk 8:12 (full readings) . Sara's Reflections: The Big Blue Banner that I make is just my sign that says "Remember...
"Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being." ~ Gen 2:7 (full readings) Peggy's Reflections: This verse struck me as very pro-life, because God forms each of us...
"God said, 'Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.'" ~ Gen 1:20 (full readings) . Kathy's Reflections: God has blessed us and told us to be fruitful and multiply. The innocent life lost each day is...
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." ~ Rom 12:2 (full readings) . Pastor Rick's Reflections: We can let culture drag us...
"Let your life be free from love of money, but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you." ~ Heb 13:5 (full readings) . Jeff's Reflections: I have to admit I can be a sore loser at times. I can get so frustrated with...
"Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits." ~ Mk 6:7 (full readings) . Ed's Reflections: "And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits; and He instructed them...
"Endure your trials as ‘discipline’; God treats you as his sons." ~ Heb 12:7 (full readings) . Shane's Reflections: The Jewish Christians to whom the author of Hebrews wrote knew persecution first hand. They had been exposed to public ridicule, the confiscation of property, and some had even been imprisoned...
"The couple brought Him up to Jerusalem so that He could be presented to the Lord, for it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every first-born male shall be consecrated to the Lord.'" ~ Lk 2:22-23 (full readings) . Rich's Reflections: Today is the Feast of the Presentation of...
"Remember the days past when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a great contest of suffering. At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and affliction; at other times you associated yourselves with those so treated." ~ Heb 10:32-33 (full readings) . Scott's Reflections: Today's passage in Hebrews reminds us...
