Scripture Reflection
Here I share the fruits of my personal reflection on the Word of God, whether I’m reading along with the lectionary readings for that week or exploring a particular book of the Bible. Enjoy the posts that appear below; you’ll find them with the most recent first. If you’re looking for something in particular, try typing a topic, book of the Bible, or other keyword into the search field at the bottom of the page. Topics I write about frequently include those listed below:
"Martha, Martha..." I always want to jump to Martha’s defense when I read Jesus’ response to her complaint. Her sister has left her to do all the work, and the Lord seems to dismiss her worry. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried,” he says. “There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will ...
My great-grandma Jennie’s life is packed inside a single word: “Hallelujah!” She typed that on a thousand tiny strips of paper and tucked them into cracks and books and under dishes as she prayed. She died many years years ago—but even now, finding one of those Hallelujahs brings her back in an instant. Who was Jennie, you ask? Look at this ...
Six heart-shaped rocks line the shore at Tabgha on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. They may have been pulled from an ancient quarry, remnants of old synagogues which traditionally had two heart-shaped columns at the rear corners. Sometime in the fifth to ninth century AD, they were placed in a colonnade commemorating the Apostles and called the ...
As the sun rises on another Easter Sunday, my phone is filled with messages. Happy Easter! He is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! But at the back of my mind are the closing words of today’s gospel reading: “For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (see John 20:1-9). As long ...
This continues a series of reflections on the seven deadly sins, with related scripture for meditation. Begin the series here. Week 4: Psalm 51 — “From the sin of WRATH, O Lord, deliver me…” A lady once tried to rationalize her out-of-control temper to her priest. “It’s no big deal,” she said. “I blow up, and then it’s all over.” “So does ...
If you’re reflecting on the seven deadly sins with me, and praying with the Penitential Psalms to overcome them, notice how well this week's Psalm 38 expresses our experience with envy: “thy arrows have sunk into me” (vs 2); “my wounds grow foul and fester” (vs 5); and “Lord, all my longing is known to thee” (vs 9). Week 3: Psalm ...
This week I’m looking at the sin of greed (avarice), making it the basis of an examination of conscience and pairing it with the second penitential psalm in my lenten reflections. [Read more about that here – and download instructions here.] Week 2: Psalm 32 — “From the sin of GREED, O Lord, deliver me…” “Greed is a fat demon with a small ...
I’m reflecting on the seven deadly sins this year, focusing on one each week as part of my Lenten examination of conscience. Will you join me? The internet is full of questions to use if you need help, just type in “examination of conscience, seven deadly sins” and find a set you like. Or you can do as I do: ...
The homily I remember best may also have been the shortest. It was Ash Wednesday morning, at the early morning mass when everybody has to get to work and there’s not a lot of time for extra details. The priest got right to the point: “The Gospel is from Matthew 6,” he said. “Jesus tells us how to give alms, ...
