From His Word to Our Hearts

Welcome to Advent, the beginning of a new Liturgical Year! Every year, the readings for the First Sunday of Advent focus our attention on the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of time, when the living and the dead will be judged. Jesus, himself, tells us that he will come at an hour we do not expect. That can be a frightening prospect. So, let’s prepare ourselves… not to be frightened, b...

Jesus is the king whose reign was not of this world, the Savior who did not save himself. Those who follow Jesus, who call themselves Christian, still struggle to live according to the radical message he preached. But why is it so hard? All too often we allow all the wrong things to have power over us… the internet, or influencers, or politicians, or social media. But what we really need...

As we bring this Liturgical Year to a close, please join me for this bonus episode explaining the various liturgical observances celebrated by the Church with special emphasis on the Solemnity of Christ the King.

Special Liturgical Observances Explained
Christ the King Explained

Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Introduction & Prayer
• (00:01:18) - Special Liturgical Observances Explained
• (...

Listening to this week’s Gospel and looking at our world, it may seem that the end times are near… but Jesus tells us not to be led astray by the negative messages of our world, that many frightening things will happen before the end. He also assures us that this will be the time for us to give our testimony – to witness to our faith through the wisdom he gives us in Sacred Scripture. So...

The Lateran Basilica in Rome is the cathedral church of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. So, by extension, is it the home of every Catholic. Our readings this week remind us of how important it is to properly revere and respect all places of worship because they are where we encounter God here on earth. God’s goodness flows outward from those structures – through the waters of Baptism, thro...

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is the one day each year that the Church sets aside to pray for all the faithful who have died. This feast reminds us that we will all face death someday, but that we should not be fearful of that reality. Instead, we must face it with hope and trust in God. So, how do we do that? How do we prepare ourselves to dwell in the house of the Lord...

This week, Jesus warns us not to assume we are righteous! Such an attitude emboldens us to trust in ourselves while judging and despising others. That runs counter to what Jesus teaches, and we must be careful to avoid such thinking. Instead, Jesus tells us to acknowledge our sinfulness, to be humble, and to seek God’s mercy. Scripture tells us cares for the poor, the outcast, and the st...

In this week’s parable, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray and not lose heart. That message is especially important for us as well. Prayer is still the greatest weapon we have to counter the uncertainty, division, and darkness that is so prevalent in our world today. Scripture is still the most reliable source of truth to equip us for the good work we are to do. Our prayers may not be a...

Jesus is always ready to bestow his mercy upon us; all we have to do is ask sincerely and we will be made clean. Probably not cleansed of leprosy as we hear in this week’s readings, but cleansed, nonetheless. The proper response for such great mercy is to joyously love and praise God in return. But how do we accomplish that? We must live according to the Gospel, the good news Jesus taugh...

God offers us the gift of faith, but each of us must accept it. We must allow it to take root in our hearts and grow but that doesn’t mean that our faith needs to become an imposing monolith; Jesus reminds us that faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient. It’s not how much faith we have, it’s what God does with our faith that is crucial. God gives us the power, love, and self-contr...

Jesus tells us another parable this week, the story of the rich man who had good things in this life but was tormented in the next and Lazarus who suffered in this life but received comfort in the next. When we separate ourselves from others here on earth – when we neglect the poor, the sick, and the needy – we create a deep chasm between them and us that will follow us into the afterlif...

Jesus tells us we cannot pursue wealth and, at the same time, be his faithful disciples since our loyalties will be divided. He also tells us not to be consumed by the things of this world but rather use them to help the poor and the needy. If we are found faithful to Jesus amidst the things of this world, we will receive true riches in the kingdom of heaven. So, how do we accomplish tha...

This year we have a rare Sunday occurrence of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and each of our readings sheds some light on the mystery of the Cross through which Jesus accomplished God’s plan for our salvation. God created us and the world in which we live out of love; when we sinned, he sent his Son to save us out of love. We may not deserve such great love, but God showers it upon us ...

Jesus challenges us to love him more than anyone or anything else in our lives, even our own families. That is part of the cost of being his disciple, but only part! He also tells us that we must renounce all we have in order to pursue heavenly wisdom… and we must do it willingly, without compulsion, and of our own free will. That’s a tall order, but he promises us help in the form of th...

In a parable, Jesus warns the Pharisees not to assume places of honor lest they be shamed when someone of greater import arrives for anyone who exalts himself will be humbled. The Scriptures remind us, repeatedly, that humility and meekness are qualities most to be valued, but the world tells us the opposite. How can we be expected to navigate such conflicting messages? How do we reconci...

The path of discipleship is difficult and requires unwavering commitment on our part. Jesus assures us that, along the way, we will be challenged, chastised, and disciplined. But if we are faithful, if we carry our own individual crosses, and if we strive to enter through the narrow gate we find before us, Jesus promises us a place in the kingdom. We may not be the first, we may not be t...

Jesus tells us this week he came to bring division and cast fire upon the earth, but that runs counter to the gentle Savior we so often picture. That’s because we don’t rightly understand what Jesus means when he talks about fire. The fire Jesus means isn’t the destructive fire we might imagine… it's the fire of judgement, certainly, but it is also a fire that purifies us, that ignites o...

Last week Jesus told us that worldly riches don’t ensure heavenly happiness; this week he tells us to store up treasure in heaven… for where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. As citizens of the world, we are expected to behave in predictable ways and meet certain benchmarks: successful jobs, nice houses, good families, new cars, and the latest tech. But as followers of Jesus...

Jesus tells us that worldly riches don’t ensure heavenly happiness. He reminds us that our success cannot be measured by the abundance of our possessions, that building bigger barns to store more stuff won’t ensure happiness, and worldly wealth won’t impress God or gain us a place in the kingdom of heaven. So, what does make us right with God? Saint Paul advises us to seek the things tha...