Deacon Kurt GodfrydIn the Gospel of Luke (13:6-9), Jesus provides us with the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree: There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For...
Fr Joseph EsperOnce upon a time two very good and holy men who lived in the same town died on the exact same day. They had never met during their lifetimes—for one was quite poor, and had lived in the ghetto, or rundown section of town, and the other was very...
Fr Dino VaninHumbly welcome the Word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Perhaps the full impact of this simple recommendation from James escapes us. Thus, let me substitute...
A man in Baltimore named Sidney played the flute as part of the city’s Symphony Orchestra; he was extraordinarily skilled at his instrument, but not sure how much of a contribution he was really making. One morning the orchestra was rehearsing, and...
The last few Sundays, the Lord has been challenging us in quite demanding ways. He has forced us to toss aside our righteous agenda, to stop relying on presumed privileges and hard-earned merits and to embrace his ways. We might still be smarting...
If we wanted to point to an important historical figure who had a love/hate relationship with the Catholic Church, Napoleon Bonaparte would be a good choice. At the height of his power, one of his generals asked him when he had been happiest, and he...
Deacon Donald CoxI have always enjoyed the sport of fishing. I think I was born with a fishing pole in my hand. Imagine that you have gone fishing on a picture perfect summer’s day. The weather is warm. There’s not a cloud in the sky. And you are standing on the...
In elementary school, I remember the way teachers would sort large groups of students into smaller ones. Whether they were sorting by grade or class, each of us came to know one thing. When we walked through the school doors, we were fair game for—...
Four months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel James “Jimmy” Doolittle was given an extraordinary mission. The mission, known as the Doolittle Raid, was carried out on April 18, 1942. It...
An appropriate title for our reflection on the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time could be: How God’s Word works in us. With Saint Paul, I could say: I am reminding you, my brothers and sisters of this Christian Community, of the gospel I preached to...