Deacon Donald CoxThe last line in our first reading for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time says, “Praise no one before he speaks, for it is then that people are tested.” (Sirach 27:7) And the last line in our Gospel says, “From the fullness of the heart the mouth...
For the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we hear that beautiful letter from St. Paul (1 Cor 12:31-13:13) in which he speaks of spiritual gifts, the greatest of which is love. Scripture tells us that God is love and that God is the Creator of all...
One week following our celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate His baptism. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “By Baptism all sins are forgiven, Original Sin and all personal sins, as well as all punishment for sin.” (CCC...
The Star of Bethlehem: We can never know for certain what it was that the Magi saw and were following. But I did some research on Astronomical History and was fascinated by what I found. For example, astronomers over the years have identified the...
In the Book of Exodus, we read of the Israelites departure from Egypt and of their miraculous deliverance by God through Moses. As part of that story, we read of the time when Moses went up on Mount Sinai and was given the Ten Commandments. He...
For the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, the readings lead us to wisdom, transparency, and eternity. Regarding wisdom (Wisdom 7:7-11), we are told that the spirit of wisdom is more precious than silver or gold. Regarding transparency (Hebrews 4:12-13)...
Our Gospel reading for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time is from Mark (9:30-37), and it follows immediately after the story of the Transfiguration. That incident was a very moving and awesome experience for the apostles. They were enthusiastic about...
“My name is Pearl. I am a snowy white Turkish Angora cat. When I was a little over one year old, I found myself lost in the woods. I don’t remember how that happened to me. That part of my story remains a mystery to me. But I ended up wandering...
Once there were two monks, one old and one young, who were traveling on a pilgrimage. While on their journey, they came to a river. There they saw a beautiful woman who was just standing by the side of the river. She was dressed in a beautiful gown...
Our first reading for this Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time says, “God did not make death — He fashioned all things that they might have being.” (Wisdom 1:13-14) Life is a free gift given to us by our Creator God; a gift to be enjoyed...