The Friar Podcasts - preaching prayer and spiritual reflections

In some ways, all Thomas wanted was the experience the other apostles had. He may have doubted in today's gospel, but he gave his life for Jesus. On Divine Mercy Sunday, and the day of the funeral for Pope Francis, we are reminded of mercy, love, hope.   Readings for Today . Mercy, love, hope I have a soft spot for Thomas. And I do in particular because of this gospel. You know, we have the ex...

Sometimes things are not what they seem. Jesus and Nicodemus are speaking about being born. Peter is recognizing all his power comes from above. Just what is Jesus trying to teach Nicodemus about the word "from above."   Readings for today .  From Above Today's gospel is one of those gospels that is easier to understand with a little background. Both Jesus and Nicodemus use the Greek...

From the US Bishops: Pope Francis Novena Day 3. This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope during the time of mourning. The daily novena – lasting for the novendiales period from April 26 to May 4, 2025 – consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funeral...

From the US Bishops: Pope Francis Novena Day 2. This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope during the time of mourning. The daily novena – lasting for the novendiales period from April 26 to May 4, 2025 – consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funeral...

From the US Bishops: Pope Francis Novena Day 1. This novena has been prepared to help pray for the Pope during the time of mourning. The daily novena – lasting for the novendiales period from April 26 to May 4, 2025 – consists of a short reading from Scripture or some other ecclesiastical text and some brief prayers, including orations drawn from the Roman Missal and the Order of Christian Funeral...

The Jewish leaders wrote off Peter and John because they did not seem very smart. They were, as the reading tells us, uneducated, ordinary men. There's hope for us.   Readings for today . Uneducated, Ordinary Men One definition of humility is to accept oneself as they are. As humility comes from the root word for earth, we could say that being humble is about being down to earth. Keeping your...

Both the first reading and the gospel are stories with incredible events. A healed man, and a resurrected Jesus. How wonderful is your name, O Lord.   Readings for Today . How wonderful is your name Incredible. How often do we use this word? And how often is it that we use it without really consider the weight of the word? Often we use the word to describe something that is, in fact, credible. But...

Both readings refer to the importance of being able to recognize the role of faith. In the first reading, Peter and John do not have money, but Jesus. In the gospel the explanations of the scriptures do not make sense until the breaking of the bread. Readings for Today . I just started to wear progressive lenses. They are bifocals, but they do not have the line that separates the lenses. While the...

As was the case yesterday, Mary Magdalene and Peter are both featured in today's readings. Their emotions are a lot to process. But Peter is changed. Not only does he claim to know Jesus, but he says Jesus is both Lord and Christ.   Readings for today . Both Lord and Christ In many ways, this week is a series of persons. Peter. John. Mary Magdalene. The disciples on the road to Emmaus. And oth...

There is a lot going on when we feel two conflicting emotions at the same time. We can cry and laugh at the same time. Be fearful yet overjoyed. The resurrection of Jesus produces many feelings.   Readings for Today . Fearful, yet overjoyed It really is hard to imagine what types of feelings are present in the two readings we hear today. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary knew Jesus had died. They...

We live in a time of new life. While it may not feel that way to all, the Church is growing, the Spirit is moving, and Jesus is still offering his new life.   Readings for Today . Something wonderful is happening here If you have been paying attention, you might have noticed that religion is making a small comeback. All over the world the number of people coming into the Catholic Church has been r...

Far from a defeat, the Cross is the triumph from which the Church is born. Lejos de ser una derrota, la Cruz es el triunfo del que nace la Iglesia. Readings for Today . Lecturas para hoy . The Triumph of the Cross / El triunfo de la Cruz The passion account in the Gospel of John is different from the passion accounts in the other four gospels. As J Alan Culpepper writes,  “There is (1) no mockery...

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? The cry of dereliction. Just what did it mean for Jesus? And what does it mean for us?   Readings for today .  My God, My God, Why have you abandoned me? On the Cross, Jesus quotes the first line from Psalm 22. " My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? " These words of Jesus, often referred to as the "Cry of Dereliction", have been...

Do this in remembrance of me. This means that the events of the Eucharist, Good Friday, and Easter are not simple recollections, but an invitation to enter more fully into the divine actions of Christ.   Readings for Today . Do this in remembrance of me Memory is an amazing faculty. Memory allows us to time travel, making the past into the present. Memory invokes all kinds of wonderful feelings. M...

The oils for use over the next year are blessed by the bishop at the Chrism Mass. The bishop blesses the oils used at Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination, in the Anointing of the Sick. The oils signify strength, healing and consecration. Readings for the Chrism Mass . Strength, Healing, Consecration Modern culture is familiar with oil. Whether it is at the gas station filling up our car or making th...

The deed is done. Judas goes through with the betrayal of Jesus. How many times did he stop to think about what he was doing? How many times was he even a little   unsure?   Readings for Today .  The deed is done Two persons. Two different goals. Only one ending leads to life. Both Jesus and Judas have deeds to do today. For Judas, the deed has to do with betrayal. For Jesus, the deed leads to lif...

Each of us probably has a dream, or had one. But was our dream inspired by Christ, or someone else? Judas may have thought he was living out a dream, but it was not for Christ but for himself.   Readings for Today . What's your dream? Why did I do it? What did it get me? Scrapbooks full of me in the background. Give 'em love and what does it get ya? What does it get ya? One quick look as e...

There are times when people protest something because their sin hits a little too close to home. Judas is now at the point where his greed has caused him to be unable to understand the works of Jesus. Can it be the same with us?   Readings for today . Thou dost protest too much There can be times when our selfishness rises to a level so high, that when what we want becomes threatened, we react bad...

his whole week, starting today, is about Jesus as the Pascal Lamb who brings salvation to the entire world. We are asked to enter into living and experiencing these great events of faith. Through them all, we ask Jesus to remember us and taking us to paradise.   Readings for Today . Jesus is the Pascal Lamb Is it estimated that during Passover, in the time of Christ, thousands of lambs were slaugh...

Hope and pessimism. The prophet Ezekiel proclaims a great promise from God, that the division and brokenness between the two kingdoms will cease. And the writing is on the wall for Jesus.   Readings for Today . Hope and pessimism At first glance, the first reading might seem a little out of place. The Lord speaks a great promise for Israel and Judah. They will again be one kingdom. The division th...

Cue the dramatic music. Jeremiah feels the heat all around him. Jesus faces an angry crowd with rocks. How do you face persecution?   Readings for today . Cue the beginning of the dramatic music It is pretty remarkable to see. If you have ever seen an innocent video clip played with different background music, you can see how much music influences what is going on and how you feel. And the scenes...

Quite successful. Quite sad. Abraham had great highs in life, and some real lows too. But through it all, he kept his faith in God, who makes a covenant with him. And Jesus is the fulfillment. Abraham had a very, shall we say, circuitous life. An early period of his life, or much of his life, where he became quite successful, financially and really probably in prestige. So financially successful t...

When I hear about the stories of the great saints, I often have a hard time believing that I could do those things, even with God's grace. Being cast into a white hot furnace? Facing people who are determined to kill me? The three young men who King Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill have consistently in the Book of Daniel shown their absolute trust in God. From not wanting to be made to eat food g...

Don't Complain I have a friend who loves the  Song of Bernadette . His favorite part of the movie is when Bernadette is sick, and the doctor asked, "Did she ever complain?" He wants me to be the one who says, when he dies, "Did he ever complain?" That is so the doctor can give the answer about him that he gave to Bernadette. The family asks why the doctor asks, and he says,...

The story of Susanna in the first readings is a compelling story that tells us that things are not always as they seem. And sometimes life can get pretty dark. But Jesus is the Light of the world.  Readings for Today . Hopefully at Mass today you heard the long form of the daily Mass reading. Even though it is quite long, the story is captivating. A woman is almost killed because people believed t...