The readings this weekend for Mass are a bit difficult for several different reasons. The message from Jeremiah is bold to call out the shepherd who twists the message of the Almighty for their own purposes. God has harsh words for those who lead the flock astray and who refuse to take care of their … Read more
The Holy Spirit has led me to preach a message that we, as Christians, have made the conscious choice to worship a small God rather than the all-powerful God. I find evidence of this all around me. When people claim that God cannot love certain people because of who they are, what they did in … Read more
As Americans celebrate their independence from the British crown today, I am struck by the diametrically opposing views from the readings this Sunday to that rugged individualism and independence. In the reading from Ezekiel, we hear that the prophet is being sent to a people who have turned their back on God in favor of … Read more
I have been preaching a lot about how fundamentalist Christians tend to serve a small God. They put him in a box and believe that God cannot function or exist outside their limited understanding of God. And this Sunday’s readings continue that theme. We have two stories of women in distress that Jesus finds himself … Read more
This Sunday we celebrate Pride Sunday. We celebrate who God made us to be and shake off the shame and abuse that the religious community has visited on us. We stand with one another in solidarity against those who would have us disappear or would have us harmed simply because they disagree with how God … Read more
We live in a world where people are more concerned with material possessions than with loving one another. We fight and struggle with one another over the most trivial of matters while ignoring genocide, violence, war, poverty, homelessness, and abuse. I cannot tell you the number of times over the last few years that I … Read more
This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, or the Body and Blood of Christ. This solemnity honors the heart of the Catholic faith, the Eucharist. From the Eucharist flows the graces and love of God into our hearts and souls. For some reason, there are clergy and churches that believe we should gate-keep … Read more
This Sunday we celebrate the birth of the church. Pentecost is considered the day when the church was born. The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles, and they were given the courage to go out and proclaim the Gospel. Today, we as Christians have lost our direction. We have people like Harrison Butker who work … Read more
God is love. That is the message of this weekend’s readings. And that same love is the love we are commanded to share with our neighbors. Jesus is very clear, “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s … Read more
What kind of Christian are you? This Sunday’s readings make us face this question and to answer it with an honest heart. This is a question you need to dig deep to learn the answer for. It is not merely a surface question. What fruit does your life produce? Are you producing good grapes or … Read more