2012

Shepherds dominate the readings today. I doubt many of us care to be thought of as sheep but God has good reason for comparing us to them. You really don’t have to go far to see sheep in action since they graze in the field across the street.

Sheep move about with their eyes to the ground, focusing on the patch of grass in front of them. The image of a sheep may be more fitting than we care to admit since we don’t always consider the consequences of our choices and actions before committing them. As we “eat” our way through life, all of us at one time or another stumble at times because we don’t see where we are going. God knows we need good shepherds to keep an eye on us and lead us safely through life.

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16th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

There is a line in today’s gospel that catches my attention, “they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” What we find here is the scriptural basis for the last sacrament many of us will someday receive: the sacrament of the sick.

Many Catholics grew up knowing this sacrament by a different name: Last Rites. As the old name suggest, this sacrament was given to someone who was dying. But as the gospel line points out, the disciples didn’t anoint the dying, they anointed the sick.

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15th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

When you hear the word, prophet, what comes to mind? A person who can successfully foresee the future? Derived from the Greek for “one who speaks on behalf of,” a prophet speaks to us on behalf of God, or on behalf of those who have no one else to speak for them, giving voice to the voiceless. Prophets call on their listeners to be faithful to their religious traditions. They predict the future when they forecast what could happen if God’s message is ignored. For that reason, prophets were not always welcomed.

Undoubtedly, Ezekiel did not relish the task that God entrusted to him. He probably had the gut feeling that whatever he said would fall on deaf ears. Perhaps he would be ignored or even killed, for that is often the fate of prophets who bear unwelcomed news. All he knew then was that God was counting on him to be his voice in the midst of obstinate people who were no longer listening.

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14th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

“God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living…But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world and they who belong to his company experience it.” So begins and ends our first reading from the Book of Wisdom. I guess that includes you and me, for someday death will be our common experience. Despite our efforts to thwart death, the fact remains that life is a terminal illness.

For some of us, death may come with ample warning, if we are diagnosed with a terminal illness such as Lou Gehrig’s disease or certain forms of cancer. For others, death may come as a consequence for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, as are the victims of traffic accidents, natural disasters, or violence.

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13th Sunday of Ordinary Time – presentedRead More »

The following was written by Deacon Jesmer, but he was unable to present it in Mass due to an illness.  Bless you and get well soon, Deacon.

SCRIPTURE:
1ST Reading: Wisdom 1:13-15, 2:23-24
2nd Reading: 2 Corrinthians 8:7,9, 13-15
Gospel: Mark 5-21-43

Nearly all of us has experienced the frustration of trying to repair or put together some complicated mechanical or electrical contraption without much success. Finally , After all other efforts have failed, we READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. Usually I am reminded at this point by my wife, who sees the mess I am making and says sweetly, “Have you read the instructions?”

The step that we should take first doesn’t even enter our minds until we have tried everything else. We are somewhat like the woman in today’s gospel. She had suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years and had received treatment at the hands of many doctors of every sort, and exhausted her savings in the process.

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13th Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »