The Awful Gospel of the Cross
08 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
This week's Gospel contains one of the greatest challenges Jesus ever offered to his disciples: "If ...
Humility: The Queen of the Virtues
01 Sep 2013
Contributed by Lukas
This week's readings focus on the importance of humility. Humility is the foundation for the whole o...
I Have Come to Cast a Fire Upon the Earth
18 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus' words from our Gospel this week inspired the name for my program, Word on Fire. Jesus speaks ...
Faith and the Reasoning of the Religious Mind
11 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
God cannot be analyzed scientifically the way one would study the things of the world, but God can b...
The Great Yes and The Great No
04 Aug 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Very often we find ourselves drawn towards extremes: puritanism or hedonism, idolizing the world or ...
Kingdom Prayer
28 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
How central is the Lord's Prayer to Christianity! Basically this prayer is about ordering ourselves ...
Boasting in the Cross
07 Jul 2013
Contributed by Lukas
St. Paul tells us in our second reading that he boasts in the cross of Jesus. To any of his hearers ...
The Sin of David
16 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today's first reading describes the sin of David with Bathsheba, David's attempts to cover up his cr...
Making Something From Nothing
09 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
This week's readings are for the people who feel that they have no hope. Even in the darkest of time...
The Gift of the Eucharist
02 Jun 2013
Contributed by Lukas
The Church comes from the Eucharist for it is the sacrifice that makes saints. The Eucharist is esse...
Pentecost and Sinai
19 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
This week is the great feast of Pentecost. Christ rules his Church from Heaven by sending his Spirit...
No Temple in the New Jerusalem
05 May 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's reading from the Book of Revelation the narrator describes the arrival of the Holy Ci...
Fishers of Men
14 Apr 2013
Contributed by Lukas
Today's reading from the Gospel of John offers a compelling meditation about the importance of Chris...
Every Saint Had a Past, Every Sinner Has a Future
17 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
This week's scriptures present the hope of moving forward. All of us have sins and vices in our past...
The Prodigal Son
10 Mar 2013
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's Gospel reading we hear the story of the Prodigal Son. Here, Christ provides a reflect...
The More
24 Feb 2013
Contributed by Lukas
There are moments in life when we sense that there is something more real, important and enduring th...
The Wedding Banquet that Overflows with Wine
20 Jan 2013
Contributed by Lukas
We begin Ordinary Time with the wedding at Cana, a rich, spiritual story with great implications for...
A New Ark for a New Covenant
23 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The greatest and most revered of Israel's kings was David. It is from the family of David that the M...
Look to the Son of Man
02 Dec 2012
Contributed by Lukas
At the start of this new liturgical year, we hear Luke's account of Jesus speaking about the end to ...
True Kingship
25 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
At the end of the liturgical year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. But Christ's kingship ...
The Good News of the Apocalypse
18 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Today's readings deal with the end of time and the great cosmic battle. In the Gospels, Christ fight...
Hear, O Israel
04 Nov 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Our first reading for Mass this week contains the defining prayer of the Jewish tradition: the “S...
Seeing the World Anew
28 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
This Sunday's Gospel presents the extraordinary story of Christ's healing Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is ...
True Ambition
21 Oct 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Gospel, the apostles James and John ask Jesus to be given positions of glory in Christ's ...
Envy and Ambition
23 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The danger of jealousy and envy is that it is as much damaging to others as it is to ourselves. When...
The Dilemma of the Law
02 Sep 2012
Contributed by Lukas
One of the great tensions in the spiritual life is between loving the law and being free of the law....
Really, Truly, and Substantially Present
26 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The Lord Jesus is not speaking metaphorically about eating his flesh and drinking his blood - he has...
The Word of God Made Flesh
19 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Today's Gospel comes again from the sixth chapter of John. Here Christ discusses the necessity and r...
The Bread of Life, The Body of Christ
12 Aug 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Today's readings are from First Kings and the sixth chapter of John's Gospel. Our passage for this w...
The Twelve and the New Israel
15 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Mark relays the story of Jesus giving the Twelve Apostles their "marching orders," the in...
A Thorn in the Flesh: Why We Suffer
08 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Saint Paul conveys a unique and powerful perspective on suffering. What he called a "thorn in the fl...
Faith and the Law
01 Jul 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The Book of Leviticus outlines laws, practices and directives of things, people and animals that are...
He Must Increase and I Must Decrease
24 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
John the Baptist is one of the most important figures in Christianity, and provides a window into th...
The New Temple
10 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
To truly understand the significance of the Mass, we must understand the importance of blood sacrifi...
Life Lived in the Spirit
03 Jun 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The Holy Spirit thrives on the actions we take and decisions we make out of love, joy, peace, patien...
Living the Flesh, Living the Spirit
27 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
St. Paul illuminates what it means to live in the Holy Spirit, acting and living out of love, and wh...
Seated at the Right Hand of the Father
20 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus was the meeting of heaven and earth. His Ascension returned him to God in order to reign as th...
Love Both Conditional and Unconditional
13 May 2012
Contributed by Lukas
We are often mistaken in thinking that we have to love God in order for God to love us. That's not t...
Resurrection and the Forgiveness of Sins
22 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
St. Peter's impassioned sermon in the temple precincts condemned the people for killing the "author ...
Life in the Church
15 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The resurrected Jesus appears to his disciples, fearful they were to be targeted next, to deliver a ...
The Return of the King
01 Apr 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Entering Holy Week, we see numerous stirring examples of Jesus' fulfillment of Old Testament prophes...
Listen to Him
04 Mar 2012
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most unsettling accounts in the Bible, that of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice hi...
Jesus Among the Angels and Beasts
26 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Lent begins with a passage about Noah and flood. It's representative of not only sin, but of God's g...
I Am Doing Something New!
19 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
This Sunday's Gospel tells the story of the paralytic man whom Jesus forgave and commanded to walk. ...
All Are One in God
12 Feb 2012
Contributed by Lukas
The leper in Mark's gospel, a feared presence to the ancient Israelites, is made clean by Jesus' ben...
He Speaks With Authority
29 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
In Mark's gospel, we see find Jesus exorcising an unclean spirit from a man in the temple, doing so ...
The Spiritual Drama of Jonah
22 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
A divine calling, whether the meaning is revealed in this life or the next, always requires our bibl...
Staying With the Lord
15 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
When we witness something beautiful, something important, we desire to share it with others, just as...
Herod and the Magi
08 Jan 2012
Contributed by Lukas
Herod sees all from the confines of his ego, trying to make the world conform to his plans. The Magi...
In the Beginning was the Word
25 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The Prologue of the Gospel of John sums up the whole of the Christian message. It tells the story of...
Adam, David, and Jesus
18 Dec 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Adam had a kingly mission. However, he became a bad king. David was meant to restore kingship to its...
Language Fit for a King
20 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Fr. Barron comments on the new Roman Missal. This new translation is more fit for the celebration of...
The Great Spiritual Law
13 Nov 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The great spiritual law is the law of the gift. Although counter-intuitive, it is the way of the Spi...
Three Tasks of the Church
23 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Christ calls us to worship the Father, teach and evangelize in his name, and serve and care for him ...
The Wedding Feast
09 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus tells the story of a King who is inviting people to the wedding banquet for his Son. Some igno...
Parable of the Tenants
02 Oct 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The parable of the tenants is an allegory that presents the relationship of Israel to Christ, but mo...
Let Go Rather than Grasp
25 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The magnificent hymn in the Letter to the Philippians reveals that at the heart of the Gospel is the...
Seeing the World from God's Perspective
18 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes Christ does not seem fair. The Parable of the Day Laborers evokes this sense of injustice....
The Gates of Hell
21 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In the eyes of the world, the Christian way of being is strange. All Christians are called out of th...
The Little Ones
03 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The purpose of Jesus' teachings is that we allow the divine life to surge through us so that we beco...
The God Who Is Love
19 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
God is Trinity. He is fundamentally a relationship: a lover, a beloved and the love between them. In...
The Spirit of Power and of Truth
29 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The Scriptures for this Sunday offer some glimpse of the Holy Spirit in advance of the great feast o...
The Co-Inherence of the Mystical Body
22 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
No man is an island. One of the messages of the Gospel is that all reality is interconnected. Jesus ...
The Shepherd's Voice
15 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
God speaks to us in many ways, especially though the conscience. Since God is a Person, his voice wi...
The Road to Emmaus
08 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Like the two disciples walking towards Emmaus, a symbol of worldly power and security, and away from...
The Risen Christ in the Midst of His Church
01 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus has come to bring us the divine life. Under his influence we become peaceful, unafraid, evange...
He Is Risen!
24 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Our first reading for this Easter day is Peter's great kerygmatic speech on Pentecost morning. Fille...
Lazarus and the Power of Death
10 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Death is not a condition God desires for us . Rather, God wants us to have life. However, death is a...
Coming to Spiritual Vision
03 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The healing of a man blind from birth is an archetypal story of coming to spiritual vision. Sin prev...
One Who Is Greater Than Our Father Jacob
27 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The story of Christ's encounter with the Samaritan woman is a kind of template by which we can under...
Seek Ye First
27 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
"Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and the rest will be given to you." Make God t...
Be Perfect
20 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Jesus calls us to love. But few consider the radical nature of this calling. It entails loving the o...
Preaching the Radical Word
13 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
Like a good healer, Jesus has not come simply to behaviorally modify us; he has come to heal us at t...
Blessed Are We
30 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
The Beatitudes reveal the true path of joy is found not in grasping at power but in the willing surr...
Following the Lord
23 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
All of us want to live to the fullest. However, most of us never find the one thing that will inspir...
Paul's Opening Words to the Corinthians
16 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he highlights the beauty of baptism and how it sweeps the...
Ahaz, Isaiah, and Joseph
19 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The problem with our world is that most people do not dream big. In experiencing hardship, we have a...
The Virtue of Hope
12 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Hope is not this-worldly optimism. In fact, from a purely natural perspective, pessimism is the righ...
The Bracing Figure of John the Baptist
05 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The first step in the spiritual life is simple: you must see your life not as your own project but a...
God's Holy Mountain
28 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Thomas Merton once wrote, "Man is not at peace with his fellow man because he is not at peace with h...
Christ the King
21 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Our first reading for Mass this Sunday is taken from the opening chapter of Paul's letter to the Col...
What Remains?
14 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
All things pass away. Political and religious institutions, the family, bodily health; nothing lasts...
Eternal Life
07 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Today's Gospel reading tells us about the Sadducees trying to lead Jesus into a ridiculous conclusio...
Salvation Has Come to This House
31 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Zacchaeus is a man who has wandered far from God. But, often enough, people like Zacchaeus come back...
Finding Justification
24 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Religion serves a unitive purpose. In uniting the person to God, religion unites people together. Ho...
Moses and Amalek
17 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The church militant is the church at war with all the destructive powers that want to undermine its ...
Naaman the Syrian
10 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
From the worldly perspective, the worst thing a powerful person can do is admit his/her weaknesses t...
Rich Man, Poor Man
26 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us find the homeless to be unnerving and annoying, telling ourselves not to give them money ...
A Warning Bell in the Night
19 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us spur into action when we believe that our financial state is in dire straits. Why don't w...
Logic of Justice, Logic of Grace
12 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The God Jesus describes does not operate according to the same logic we do. In fact, He seems to be ...
The Hopeful Vision of Mass
29 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The Letter to the Hebrews is a sustained reflection on the Mass as the source and summit of the Chri...
The Narrow Gate
22 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
To gain eternal life is to participate to the fullest degree possible in the very life of God. It is...
Mary the Warrior
15 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
In contrast to our conventional view of the Virgin Mary as a shrinking violet, the book of Revelatio...
Giving and Receiving
08 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
In the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Christ assures us not to be afraid. Fear is a spiritua...
To Have and To Be
01 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Maturity comes in facing the reality of death and the transient nature of the world. In this regard,...
Martha, Mary, and the Attitude of Discipleship
18 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Although the little story of Martha and Mary has been interpreted throughout the centuries as a para...
Hearing the Voice of God
11 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
During the 20th century, moral relativism was in vogue in elite cultural circles, but now it is the ...
Being American, Being Catholic
04 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
We Americans embrace freedom. However, a proper understanding of freedom must inform our celebration...
Elisha and the Nature of True Freedom
27 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
Freedom is not self-determination, but finding and doing what God wants you to do. Biblical figures ...
Sin and Grace
13 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The Gospel present two tales of sin and grace, Christ's encounter with a repentant woman and the par...