Cup o' Joe

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 39-45 Mary, having had her life and her plans upended by a visit from an archangel does what any of us would do at that point, right?  Nope - she doesn't sit in her room and reconfigure.  She doesn't go talk to mom and dad and wonder what to do next.  She doesn't recalibrate.  She goes for three months to visit and assist her cousin Elizabeth.&...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38 As we draw nearer to The Coming, we enter in The Story.  All this week, we will be in Luke, Chapter 1 preparing us for Luke, Chapter 2 this Saturday.  First up?  The Announcement.  The plan is given and all of heaven holds its breath to see how this young girl will respond.  

The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 1, verses 1-17 We make a turn in Advent today.  No longer are we focusing on the adult Jesus.  Now, we are preparing for a birth and thus, we have to focus on the Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke for the next 8 days.  Today, we hear of the importance of our ancestry.  Why?  It grounds us and helps remind us from whence we came and who w...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 24-30 I know - it's super late.  But it's worth the wait!  Dig it! John was doubting?  Let me tell you how good he is...even in the midst of that space.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 18b-23 John the Baptist, having been imprisoned, sees the works of Jesus.  And he begins to doubt.  This can't be the One to whom we were looking.  He's not at all what I expected.  So what happens when that same thing happens to us?  What happens when we begin to doubt and see God operating in a way that is outside of our expectations?&nb...

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21, verses 28-32 Jesus continues his dialogue with the leaders of the Jewish Temple and presents them a parable - "A man had two sons..."  And the key to this parable?  Who really is the one that does the will of God.  Which one?  The one that was able to change his mind.   Are we set in our ways?  Do we have God figured out?  Are...

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21, verses 23-27 Jesus, once again, is confronted by the leaders of the Temple and asked for His credentials.  By what authority do you do this?  He doesn't answer the question, but rather turns the question on them at which they obfuscate and play games.  What can we learn through this short interchange? St. Lucy, pray for us!

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 16-19 Jesus compares the actions - or should I say inactions? - of the Scribes and the Pharisees to that of children.  They use every excuse in the book not to engage in what they see going on around them.  But that sounds like lukewarm water.  And we know what God does with that in His mouth.  We have to plant a flag, my friends.  We...

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 11-15 Jesus speaks of His great love and respect for John the Baptist - how there is no one born of woman who is greater than he.  Yet the least in the Kingdom is greater.  How do we make sense of this statement?  And what does it mean for us?

Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38 Today we discuss the greatness of Mary and the lengths that God will go to in His incredible love for humanity and for each of us individually.  This feast is so good!

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18, verses 12-14 On this Feast of St. Ambrose, we hear not only the Gospel reading but parts of the first reading from Isaiah chapter 40.  And while the Gospel speaks of the particular love of God for each one of us, Isaiah reminds us of God's collective love for us, too.  It's always both/and.  And we participate in that same reality.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, verses 17-26 Jesus, surrounded by great crowds, sees the belief and the desperation of friends on behalf of a paralytic man.  And so moved by this act He frees the man.  But not in a way that was expected.  We may think that the healing power of Jesus does not reside in us because we have never lifted a paralytic person from their mat.  We would be wr...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9, verses 27-31 Today, on this Feast of St. Francis Xavier, we hear of an interaction between Jesus and two blind men.  Their long journey to an encounter with one another took perseverance.  But once they came face to face, it all hinged on one question: "Do you really believe that I can do this??" 

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 21, 24-27 Jesus instructs His disciples not to get caught up in mere words or trying to pick the lock of the Kingdom.  Instead, it takes commitment.  It takes obedience.  It takes our very hearts and lives.  

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 15, verses 29-37 Today's Gospel is a bit of deja-vu.  We've heard it before, but it's so good to hear again because the news is truly Good News.  You are seen - right here, right now.  And you don't need to beg or plead.  Our God is a God of abundance who will destroy the web that is woven over all of us: death.  

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4, verses 18-22 On this Feast of St. Andrew, we ask the question: what work did Andrew have to do before he was able to say "Yes" to the invitation to Christ to be with Him.  Was it just a gut feeling?  Right place, right time?  Or did he have to prepare his heart in order to see the birth?

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 8, verses 5-11 Welcome to Advent, my friends.  Today we hear about an interaction between Jesus and a Roman Centurion which is so moving that we repeat his words every time we go to Mass.  "Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof..."  What is so important about this interaction?

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 29-33 As we close our liturgical year, Jesus reminds us that all will come to an end.  Sun and moon will stop shedding their light.  Stars will fall from the sky.  But do not be afraid.  Trees will bloom.  Everything will pass but there is Something that will be with us always...

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 12-19 In 1975, Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi stated: "Modern humanity listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if it does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."  On this feast of Andrew Dung Lac and Companions, that is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today's Gospel.  

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 5-11 Jesus continues to teach in the Temple area, and He hears people speaking of the beauty of the Temple.  And let's be honest - I'm sure it was.  But he takes this moment to challenge His listeners about what is lasting and what is not.  

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 1-4 As we wind down this liturgical year, Jesus sits in the Temple area and observes the giving and those making the offerings.  He points out a particular woman who gives not from a place that won't be missed, but instead she puts her entire livelihood in the basket.  Which of course begs the question of us - how much of ourselves do we give to God...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 45-48 Jesus, having entered Jerusalem, goes into the Temple and clears out those who are making it a Den of Thieves and disrupting prayer.  So we talk about that today.  How free is God in our lives to be who God needs to be - not just who we want God to be, or a God made in our image.  And secondly, when and where is our space of prayer and how of...

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 41-44 Jesus enters Jerusalem and weeps over the city.  His heart is rent by the decisions people are making and how they are turning their back on God.   That still is true today, is it not?  Have you ever wept over something similar?  And can this situation draw us closer to empathize with the heart of God?

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 11 - 28 On this Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, we hear a longer parable from Jesus about a man who would be King going away for a long journey and putting his servants in charge of a certain sum of money.  And when he returns, he wants to know how they have used that sum. Of course it begs the question of all of us - what have we been given?  An...

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 1-10 Today we hear the story of Zacchaeus, a man of small stature and great wealth.  More importantly, we hear how his life was changed when he met Christ.  Which, of course, begs the same question of us.  How are we different for having met Jesus? Another mini pod with two points for us to ponder throughout our day...