Shawn The Baptist - Sunday Scriptures

Given a choice between war and peace, we would naturally choose peace. Yet sometimes, to maintain peace, we have to fight.

The disease of leprosy, is the sad context for our readings this weekend. This terrible disease was not only a painful physical milady, but also had serious social implications. We see in the readings how lepers had to stay away from the community and yell "unclean" if anyone came near. By highlighting the issue of leprosy, the Church on this last Sunday before Lent gives us a meditation on the ve...

Do you ever find yourself frustrated when trying to share your faith and the person you're talking to just can't seem to grasp it? You present evidence and testimony that, to you, seem irresistible. Sometimes even two people raised in the same house can wind up with one person firmly believing in Jesus and another indifferent. Why couldn't Jesus have made his identity more obvious? He could have m...

In today's homily, I focus not so much on the story of the kings but the story told by Isaiah that predicted their arrival centuries earlier.

Explore the profound message of Christmas and the joy of welcoming a savior during the darkest time of the year.

Today I had the privilege of celebrating the Mass honoring the anniversary of dedication of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. This Church has served as a special place in my life and the lives of so many Catholics around the world who love our Blessed Mother. Today's celebration honors the incredible work of art and architecture that is this physi...

In today's epistle, St. Paul tells the Ephesians, "Be imitators of me." It's a bold statement, yet one that is good advice not only for the Ephesians, but also for us. In today's homily I consider three ways that we might imitate St. Paul: Paul the Solider, Paul the Sinner, and Paul the Saint. Here are some of the quotes I mention in the homily which I think help us to understand what motivated St...

Today the Church celebrates the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, often called All Souls Day. Yesterday we celebrated all the saints in white. We honor those have washed their robes and taken their place in heaven. Today we remember all our loved one's who have died who are still in the process of being "cleaned up" for heaven. There is a tendency today to pretend that everyone goes to h...

These past few weeks have been filled with a lot of confusion as faithful Catholics and even the larger world have been trying to make sense of various pieces of information coming from Rome and the Synod on the Family. In the process we've seen bishops of the Church engaging in political shenanigans, outright lying, and leaking a host of misleading statements. I suppose we can take some solace in...

Catholics love to talk about the Church, and today's Gospel is a great one. Yet, we must learn from the Gospel that the Church is built on personal faith. Specifically, it's founded on the confession of faith given by Peter himself. Each of us must ground our faith in a similar personal encounter with Jesus. When we have a personal relationship with Jesus, then the Church helps this faith to becom...

In today's Gospel, Jesus uses an encounter with a Canaanite woman to teach us about prayer. He delays answering her prayer immediately so that her desire might be increased. God does the same with us. He wants us to desire him. Sometimes is takes a long time of asking and even suffering. In the end, the answer to our prayer is not as important as our desire for God. He wants us to end up chanting...

How do you normally expect to encounter God? Each of today's three readings point to three different ways that we might have such an encounter with God.

The following homily was given to scouts gathered for Mass in the Chapel of the Twelve Apostles at the H. Roe Bartle Scout Reservation in Osceola, Missouri. Lots of people are talking about the World Cup of soccer. It seems these days we really love our sports. We might therefore be happy to see that apparently St. Paul did too. He frequently uses sports analogies in his writings. In today's secon...

Pentecost reveals Jesus' commitment to his followers as he prepares them for the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

Explore the significance of Ascension and how it inspires us to seek a relationship with God throughout our lives.

Romantic love is a powerful force. Yet, when Jesus wanted to describe the love he had for his disciples he uses the word "friend."

Scouts know a lot about finding the way. We're famous for it. Here are some thoughts given to Scouts camped on the Kansas City NASCAR track.

Anyone can look at a bunch of facts and reach some kind of conclusion to say what we "know," but what do we "believe?"

We thirst for many things and look for way to satisfy these desires. In today's Gospel, we see that Jesus also thirsts... for us.

The Hillside City of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee In today's Gospel, Jesus speaks of a city on a mountain or hill not being able to be hidden. Perhaps we might think of a city high up on a mountain. When I went to Galilee to the spot where Jesus spoke these works, I found that he might be referring to something different. A city set on a hill might be something more like the city of Tiberias on...

The role of a prophet of God is to speak the word of God to the world right now as seen with Martin Luther King and with the March for Life.

Today's homily reflects on three important things that the Magi did that we should also do if we want peace (Latin: Pax) in this New Year.

Today is World Day of Prayer for Peace. If you want peace in your hearts this new year, here are five practical tips based on the word peace.

Explore the reality of family problems and the quest for perfection. Discover how the holy family offers guidance for our struggles.

Have you ever hoped for the perfect Christmas? The first Christmas wasn't so perfect, so yours doesn't have to be either.