Matthew Schnabel This week we celebrate and commemorate the feast of Pentecost. It is the birthday of the church! And growing up it was a really confusing feast because it got ignored in my baptist upbringing yay reformation theology; or really really hoaky activites like singing “Happy Birthday” to the church and having a birthday cake at … Read more
This weeks Epistle from 1st Peter gives a striking message for us all. To keep looking forward always. You see Peter was writing the letter knowing he had limited time. He was walking toward Rome, toward his eventually trial and martyrdom. His epistles were love letters to his people that he took leadership over. Sure … Read more
This Sunday is Good Shepherd Sunday. It is usually a Sunday that is serene and brings comfort. After all we read the 23rd Psalm and are reminded that we are brought to comfort and still waters. But the Gospel paints a pseudo-warning to us. There are those in our life who are dangerous. There are … Read more
This week is Divine Mercy Sunday. It was called so after the chaplet instituted by St. Faustina in a vision given to her by our Lord in while she was praying in her convent. She was shown a future where mercy would need to be given out more and more and thus the chaplet, and … Read more
This Sunday we get a unique reading in the midst of Lent. Today we get the reading of Jesus going hearing of the death of his friend Lazarus. In some translations, we see Jesus’ humanity clearly by hearing the Words ‘and Jesus Wept.’ We hear him wrestling with emotion, but in his heart he knows … Read more
Have you ever grown tired of hearing people complaining? I know I do! Sometimes complaints are necessary to recognize things need changing in our environment. But often times, the complaints center around our inability to remain flexible to change, and transform. Take this weeks Old testament passage for instance. We have Moses in the Exodus … Read more
I hear a lot of talk around this time about fasting. Lent after all is a way for us to fast and naturally gives us opportunity for good self reflection and centering. That is absolutely what it is designed to do. But as a priest it frustrates me because some of the fasting things I … Read more
This Sunday is one of those quirky Sunday’s to preach. But the Gospel leads up to and actually piggy backs off of last weeks readings in a delightful way. We had the readings from Isaiah last week that challenged us to walk with God, and to look for the downcast in society and raise them … Read more
The Spirit of Justice If last Sunday was Word of God Sunday, then this Sunday should be known as justice Sunday. Today we hear from the prophet Zephaniah, and in the Gospel this week Jesus gives us the beatitudes. Zephaniah was a prophet, but unlike the other gloom and doom prophets, the majority of Zephaniah … Read more
This weeks readings have made me think of the state of the world. The Descending of the Spirit on Jesus that John the Baptist, is telling his followers about is the sign that they are to look for. John is telling his followers that he is not the one to save all of Israel and … Read more