60% of the Gospel is healing stories and today is one of them. And about the miracles that Jesus performs, he didn’t perform miracles to prove anything or impress anybody. He performed then simply because he saw a need and compassion moved him to do something about...

I once heard a line that goes like this. “We can do all the right things all day long but daily be losing our souls.” And then, “We can do holy things all day long without becoming holy.”  How is that possible? Why would that be? Let’s check out the Gospel story for...

Last night was the Sunset Fest talent show. I entered. I did the hula hoop.  The idea was to outlast whoever came up to challenge me. I knew ai was in trouble when my opponent started doing the hula hoop around her neck. I was no match. I think she could have kept...

What do you think is the most common complaint a teenager might have about having to go to Sunday mass? I think it’s the same complaint I had when I was a teenager. I didn’t like having to go to mass because I thought it was boring.  And sometimes it’s not just...

In Ephesians 4 today’s second reading Paul tells his listeners to let go of all bitterness and anger and instead seek the way of kindness and compassion forgiving one another as God as forgiven us in Christ. Do this and you will be blessed. The way of kindness,...

The Feeding of the 5,000 is the central miracle in the Gospel of John.  It also is the only miracle (other than the Resurrection) that is recorded in all 4 Gospels.  As a miracle it is compelling proof of Christ’s divinity:  only God could feed so many with so...

How do I say this? In the seminary when it came to “the books” I didn’t exactly set the world on fire. What I’m saying is that I was no Ray Ortman. You know what I’m saying? Okay. I didn’t study that much either. But there was one place where I really felt at home. It...

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. In today’s Gospel passage from Mark, we hear the story of the first Eucharist. In this we have the link between the priesthood of the Old Testament and the priesthood of the New...

Today celebrates the outpouring of the Spirit on the early church. Before that outpouring the disciples were locked into fear. Take Peter, the night Jesus was arrested while warming himself by the courtyard fire a panic-y Peter folded in fear when questioned if he...

“What are you looking for?”  These were the first words of Jesus in John’s Gospel, and they were addressed to His first disciples.  The funny thing is that they did not know how to answer Jesus’ question, so they dodged it by asking “where are you staying?”  To which...