Reflections

Today's Reading: John 13:1-15 ( 34-35 ) Daily Lectionary: Exodus 12:1-28 ; Lamentations 4:1-22 ; Hebrews 5:1-14 ; Psalm 31 “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no...

Today's Reading: Luke 22:1-23:56 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 10:21-11:10 ; Lamentations 3:1-66 ; Hebrews 4:1-16 “‘Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.’ Jesus s...

Today's Reading: Mark 14:1-15:47 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:29-10:20 ; Lamentations 2:1-22 ; Hebrews 3:1-19 “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him.” (Mark 14:10-11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Judas sought an opportu...

Today's Reading: John 12:1-36 (37-43) Daily Lectionary: Exodus 9:1-28 ; Lamentations 1:1-22 ; Hebrews 2:1-18 “His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.” (John 12:16) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The ministry of Jesus subverts expectations so often that it is almo...

Today's Reading: Matthew 26:1-27 or Matthew 27:11-54 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 8:1-32 ; Psalm 118 ; Hebrews 1:1-14 “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?’” (Matthew 26:52-53) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It’s a r...

March 28, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Palm Sunday - Psalm 22:1, 7-8 , 11; antiphon: Psalm 22:19, 21 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 7:1-25 ; Mark 16:1-20 “But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!” (Psalm 22:19) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The harvest full moon is one of creation's most profound optical illusions. As the moon comes up over the horizon, it looks da...

March 27, 2026 Today's Reading: Mark 15:33-47 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 5:1-6:1 ; Mark 15:33-47  “ And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” (Mark 15:34) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  The final words of Christ make a declaration. Christ is truly alone with the weight of all the sins of all people f...

March 26, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Close of the Commandments Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:19-31 ; Mark 15:16-32 He says: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My Commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6) (The Close of the...

March 25, 2026 Today's Reading: Luke 1:26-38 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 4:1-18 ; Mark 15:1-15 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Merry Christmas! We are just a few days away from Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We are concluding the 40 days of Lent, and we hear those words that are far from our thoughts...

March 24, 2026 Today's Reading: Hebrews 9:11-15 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:23-3:22 ; Mark 14:53-72 “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come…he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 11a, 12) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. The author of H...

March 23, 2026 Today's Reading: Genesis 22:1-14 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 2:1-22 ; Mark 14:32-52 “Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’”(Genesis 22:2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.  Abraham is asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. He is asked to sacrifice his only son,...

March 22, 2026 Today's Reading: John 8:(42-45) 46-59 Daily Lectionary: Exodus 1:1-22; Mark 14:12-31 “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’” (John 8:58) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus’ interaction with the “Jews who believed in him” (John 8:31) comes to a boiling point in the temple. He is accused of having a demon, and He accuses the Jews of being in leag...

Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 5 - Psalm 43:3-5; antiphon: Psalm 43:1-2a Daily Lectionary: Genesis 49:29-50:7, 14-26 ; Mark 14:1-11 “Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!” (Psalm 43:3) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tomorrow we enter Passiontide - the final two weeks of the Lenten season. The light and truth of God’s Word...

Today's Reading: Catechism: Tenth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Genesis 47:1-31 ; Genesis 48:1-49:28 ; Mark 13:24-37 Urge them to stay and do their duty. (Small Catechism) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I have found it helpful when trying to understand a word or concept to try to consider its opposite. So what’s the opposite of coveting? Contentment. Instead of an unhealthy obsession with what I do...

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 45:1-20, 24-28 ; Mark 13:1-23 “So that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled.” (Matthew 2:23) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. This was the second time an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream . The first was after Joseph discovered that his betrothed, Mary, was having a child that was not his. He resolved to div...

Today's Reading: Mark 12:28-44 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 44:1-18, 32-34 ; Mark 12:28-44 “She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:44b) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. When you think of role models, poor widows are not the first thing that pops into your mind. Maybe a teacher, someone who goes out of their way to help others, or someone who leads in the...

Today's Reading: Galatians 4:21-31 or Acts 2:41-47 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 43:1-28 ; Mark 12:13-27 “So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.” (Galatians 4:31) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Abraham had two wives, Hagar and Sarah. Sarah was his first wife. And to Abraham and Sarah, God promised a son. Though they were old and past the age people usually have children,...

Today's Reading: Exodus 16:2-21 or Isaiah 49:8-13 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 42:1-34, 38 ; Mark 12:1-12 “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you.’” (Exodus 16:4) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. It was supposed to be great. They were no longer slaves. God had brought them out of Egypt with His mighty arm, ten plagues, and by dividing the waters of the Red Sea...

March 15, 2026 Today's Reading: John 6:1-15 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 41:28-57 ; Mark 11:20-33 “Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.” (John 6:11) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. I wish I had been there. Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. How great is that? The peop...

March 14, 2026 Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 4 - Psalm 122:1-2, 6, 8; antiphon: Isaiah 66:10a, 11a Daily Lectionary: Genesis 41:1-27 ; Mark 11:1-19 “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” (Psalm 122:1) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Guess what you get to do tomorrow? You get to go to church!  When I was younger, I’d ask my dad, “Do we have to go to church?” He’d...

March 13, 2026 Today's Reading: Mark 10:32-52 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 40:1-23 ; Mark 10:32-52 “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’” (Mark 10:3...

March 12, 2026 Today's Reading: Catechism: Ninth Commandment Daily Lectionary: Genesis 39:1-23 ; Mark 10:13-31 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not scheme to get our neighbor’s inheritance or house, or get it in a way which only appears right, but help and be of service to him in keeping it.” (Small Catechism: Ninth Commandm...

March 11, 2026 Today's Reading: Mark 10:1-12 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 37:1-36 ; Mark 10:1-12 “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:7-9) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. What is your favorite thing to see at a we...

March 10, 2026 Today's Reading: Ephesians 5:1-9 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 35:1-29 ; Mark 9:33-50 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You don’t even need to look at the scientific research (although there is much!) to know that...

March 9, 2026 Today's Reading: Exodus 8:16-24 or Jeremiah 26:1-15 Daily Lectionary: Genesis 29:1-30; Genesis 29:31-34:31 ; Mark 9:14-32 “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send...