Teach What You Believe

How does this Easter Season call us to change in order to gain focus and direction within our lives and our faith? It would seem the release of Pope Francis’ latest exhortation, Rejoice and Be Glad! lends perfect timing to help answer that question. What suggestions does the Pope make to you and me on how to answer the “call to holiness in a practical way for our own time, with all its risks, chal...

This Sunday we celebrated the gift of love and marriage during the World Day of Marriage. So how does the gift of love and marriage tie into the Gospel of Jesus healing the Leper? Leave it to the wisdom of a group of 4 – 8 year olds to shed light on all of this! How do they do it? And what does that mean to you? Check it out….

Advent quickly comes to a close tonight, but do not allow the Christmas celebration to overshadow the message given to us in this Sunday’s Gospel. For it is Mary’s ‘yes’ which allows the incarnation to take place...but how should that change the way we live? Perhaps a story from Fr. Greg Boyle about a former gang member coming back from visiting the White House just may open our eyes to how kinshi...

It would seem at first glance, the Parable of the Talents seems fairly clear about our need to use and multiply our “talents” to our fullest ability – unlike the third servant who buried his. But of course, this being a parable, it is never that simple. For if you look at this first century story, using insight from current scripture scholars, with a sympathetic eye towards the third slave and rec...

The Parable of the Ten Virgins is enriched with a number of metaphorical images designed to drive home the message of always being prepared. But was does that mean to you and me? What does that look like? And tapping into one of today’s Gospel metaphors, what is the oil that we need to be placing in our lamps? Rather than focusing on End Time what would happen with our lives if we spent that energ...

“Many are invited, but few are chosen” may be one of the most misinterpreted and misused scripture passages ever written. Used by many to divide and exclude, actually when you understand the context of this parable you will see that it is all about how to include and be open to an invitation that is always present for all people.

Same pay for those who work a full day versus those who work only an hour? What was Jesus thinking? This is “Good News”? Like many other parables, on the surface they seem to make no sense. But dig down a bit, and try to think more like my grandsons and you will begin to see and feel the point that Jesus was making…as he describes God’s generous love for all of us. Check it out…

Yesterday, we gathered at the same church where our friend and mentor, Fr. Don Pantle was baptized, received first communion, was confirmed, said his first mass as a newly ordained priest and this weekend was laid to rest. He touched the lives of thousands of students at the University of Scranton over some 30 years through his unique ministry of food, cards and Eucharist which was brilliant, was...

The following is the proclamation of the Gospel story by Luke of the two who are travel the Road to Emmaus, It was read at the funeral mass of Fr. Don Pantle, SJ in Scranton PA, September 2, 2017

This week we hear that Jesus took his disciples on a 25 mile hike to ask them one question: Who do you say that I am? His reason for the hike was to bring them to a geo-political sight to make his point. My guess is if Jesus was here today he may have brought us all to Charlottesville to ask us the same question. What would he have said to us and what do we need to be doing? Check it out...

This weekend our Sunday readings may have provided some confusion. For Jesus tells us to carry his yoke in order to find rest and Paul talks about not loving our flesh and yet it really has nothing to do with our bodies. This is the challenge when we put 21st Century connotations on first century scripture. So what is the real meaning behind these readings? And what impact does it have on the way...

The Sunday’s Gospel gives us a partial look at Matthew’s job description for discipleship. But leave it to my 13 month old grandson to teach me the rest. How did he do that? Check it out!

This Sunday we heard a continuation of John’s Last Supper Discourse where there is no mention of bread or wine – rather he speaks of being in relationship – about being part of the Trinity. To understand what this means I invite you to look at God – not as a noun – but as a verb. If you do, you just may understand that going to mass each Sunday is not about “going to” communion – but rather “being...

We hear the story of the Transfiguration every 2nd Sunday of Lent, which is filled with layers of meaning. But what if we took the time to just focus on the God encounter which occurs at the end of the story? For God appears in the form of a cloud which casts a shadow. Have you ever noticed how many of the God encounters in the Bible involves a cloud that overshadows and obscures the light? What a...

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Really? We have to love those that we fear? Those who are different from us? The ones who are strangers? In the past few weeks there has been much written about the plight of the refugees. Politics aside, as Christians, we are called to live the Gospel…which is much harder than reading or preaching about it. So what does Jesus say in the Be...

On December 25, 2016 our Step-mother, Margie Gilbert Knipper, at the age of 86, died after a short illness. She joined both of my parents in the arms of the risen Lord. Today, friends and family gathered together as we celebrated her life with a Mass of Resurrection at St. Paul Church in Princeton NJ. Margie had an incredible life as a religious sister, author, playwright, artist, poet, minister,...

During Advent we are called to celebrate that the Kingdom of God is here and now and at the same time still to come - that the Lord is truly near. But often we do not feel that way. Instead we can be more like John the Baptist, in today’s Gospel, wondering where God is in our lives. But there is reason to Rejoice on this Gaudete Sunday – and for Thomas Merton the reason was found on the corner of...

This weekend we bring our Liturgical Year as well as our Jubilee Year of Mercy to a close as we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King – a time for us to refocus on who or what is “King” in our lives. There is no shortage of alternative “Kings”, but lately it would seem, politics has been a dominating “King” in all of our lives. If you are like me, maybe you are exhausted from being barraged for t...

This weekend’s Gospel is the familiar story of Jesus healing ten lepers and only one comes back to give thanks. But there is another reason that Luke records this story, for while the gift of gratitude is important – the returning, grateful leper has much more to teach us about how to live our lives. Check it out….

Based on this Sunday’s Gospel, it would seem that Jesus is encouraging us to be like the Steward who was dishonest in handling the affairs for his Master. Seems there may be good reason that the Pharisees and scribes are complaining about his teachings. But like most parables, there is something hidden deep inside this story that is often missed. And what is hidden may just impact the way you see...

Jesus says that he did not come to establish peace, but rather division...and that he came to set the earth on fire, and how he wishes it were already blazing! Was he just having a bad day with his disciples…or hitting home a point that we often miss? Take a minute and check it out and see what Jesus was really talking to you and me about!

This weekend we hear the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. But if you followed the news this past week it would seem the question asked by the lawyer in this week’s Gospel regarding “Who is my neighbor” takes on many meanings. But did you ever notice that Jesus really never answers that question and what he does do is often missed. So perhaps a recent true story of a plane full of people and t...

Listen how the insight from a professional golfer on how he lived his life sheds new light on this weeks Gospel of the Sinful Women in the house of Simon the Pharisee.

What next?! That is the question as we bring our Easter season to a close. For as we gather on this Feast of Pentecost our Scripture focuses on the “what next” in our call to discipleship. So what does that “what’s next?” look like for you? More importantly what doesn’t it look like? Perhaps a bit of wisdom from a monkey, a fish, and a doorkeeper will shine new light on how to respond to the call...

It seems the Pharisees keep asking Christ, “Who are you?!” But they are unwilling to even listen because of their focus on the Temple and the laws of Leviticus. Instead, the followers of Christ know his voice and follow him. Whose voice do you listen to? What stops us from listening? When do we even pause long enough to hear what is being said? It takes wisdom from a Park Ranger from New Mexico in...