Reflections

June 6, 2025  Today's Reading: Introit for Pentecost - Psalm 104:24, 27-28, 30; antiphon: Liturgical Text Daily Lectionary: Numbers 20:1-21 ; Luke 20:19-44 “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.” (Liturgical text) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  What’s in your heart? If you’re honest with yourself, most of it’s not pretty! There’s a...

June 5, 2025  Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Sixth Petition Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:41-17:13 ; Numbers 18:1-19:22 ; Luke 20:1-18 “Lead us not into temptation.” (The Lord’s Prayer - The Sixth Petition) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. God doesn’t tempt us. Why would He? He doesn’t want us to sin. He suffered and died to free us from the power of sin and its consequences. He c...

June 4, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 19:29-48 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:23-40 ; Luke 19:29-48 “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes,” (Luke 19:42) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The people of Judea were welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem with shouts of joy, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!...

June 3, 2025  Today's Reading: Revelation 22:1-6 (7-11) 12-20 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 16:1-22 ; Luke 19:11-28 “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” (Revelation 22:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  When you think about heaven, what are the things you look forward to the most? Is it having your resurrect...

June 2, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 1:12-26 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:26-45 ; Numbers 15:1-41 ; Luke 18:35-19:10 “So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21-22) In the Name +...

June 1, 2025 Today's Reading: John 17:20-26 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 14:1-25 ; Luke 18:18-34 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. To me, these are some of the most amazing (and humbling!) words uttered by God in the entire Bible. In what we call the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prays these words in t...

May 31, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 1:39-45 (46-56) Daily Lectionary: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-33 ; Luke 18:1-17 “In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.” (Luke 1:39-41) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.   “With haste.” That...

May 30, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 7 - Psalm 61:3, 5-8; antiphon: Psalm 61:1 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:24-29; 12:1-16 ; Luke 17:20-37 “So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day.” (Psalm 61:8) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.   If you’ve gone through the Rite of Confirmation, you’ve made some vows. If you haven’t, you’re likely preparing to. During t...

May 29, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 24:44-53 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 11:1-23, 31-35 ; Luke 17:1-19 “And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” (Luke 24:50-51) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Think about those hands. Hands that were knit together in the womb of St. Mary. Hands that pres...

May 28, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Fifth Petition Daily Lectionary: Numbers 10:11-36 ; Luke 16:19-31 And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor...

May 27, 2025 Today's Reading: Revelation 21:9-14, 21-27 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 9:1-23 ; Luke 16:1-18 “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.” (Revel...

May 26, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 16:9-15 Daily Lectionary: Numbers 8:5-26 ; Luke 15:11-32 “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” (Acts 16:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Have you ever been locked out? Maybe you left the keys in your car, pr...

May 25, 2025 Today's Reading: John 16:23-33  Daily Lectionary: Numbers 3:1-16, 39-48 ; Numbers 4:1-8:4 ; Luke 14:25-15:10 “[Jesus said,] ‘I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.’” (John 16:33) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The next time you are in church, count how many times the word “ peac...

May 24, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 6 - Psalm 55:4, 16-18; antiphon: Psalm 55:22 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:21-33, 39-44 ; Numbers 1:1-2:34 ; Luke 14:1-24 “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.    In the days of yore, before all farming was done by machines, the farmers...

May 23, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 13:18-35 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 26:1-20 ; Luke 13:18-35 “He said therefore, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.’” (Luke 13:18-19)   In the Name + of Jesus.    As people,...

May 22, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Fourth Petition Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 24:1-23 ; Leviticus 25:1-55 ; Luke 12:54-13:17 God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.    H...

May 21, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-53 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:23-44 ; Luke 12:35-53 “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.    Every year at Christmas time, I hear those familiar words of Handel’s Messiah: “And His Name shall be called… Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting F...

May 20, 2025 Today's Reading: Revelation 21:1-7 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 23:1-22 ; Luke 12:13-34 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.’” (Revelation 21:3-4)    ...

May 19, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 11:1-18 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 21:1-24 ; Luke 12:1-12 “And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’” (Acts 11:7-8)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.    That...

May 18, 2025 Today's Reading: John 16:12-22 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 20:1-16, 22-27 ; Luke 11:37-54 “When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no o...

May 17, 2025 Today's Reading: Introit for Easter 5 - Psalm 98:2-6; antiphon: Psalm 98:1 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 19:9-18, 26-37 ; Luke 11:14-36 “Oh sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.” (Psalm 98:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus speaks to His lamb : My dear lamb, I made you with ears to hear so you ca...

May 16, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 11:1-13 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 18:1-7, 20-19:8 ; Luke 11:1-13 “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask h...

May 15, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The Third Petition Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 17:1-16 ; Luke 10:23-42 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. What does this mean? The good and gracious will of God is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. How is God’s will done? God’s will is done when He breaks and hinders...

May 14, 2025 Today's Reading: Luke 10:1-22 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 16:1-24 ; Luke 10:1-22 “And (Jesus) said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus speaks to His lamb: Dear lamb, This world is filled with people—people whom I died for...

May 13, 2025 Today's Reading: Revelation 7:9-17 Daily Lectionary: Leviticus 10:1-20 ; Leviticus 11:1-15:33 ; Luke 9:37-62 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voic...