Ordinary Time: Cycle B

Reading I: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Reading II: Acts 10:34-38 GOSPEL: Mark 1:7-11 The Tortoise and the Hare It's a very old fable, and one that most everyone knows. The tortoise and the hare have a race to see who is fastest. Overconfidence by the hare...

Reading I: 1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19 Reading II: 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20 GOSPEL: John 1:35-42 Are You Listening? The world is a crazy place. The sights, the sounds, and the energy – all combine to overwhelm our physical senses and dull our spiritual o...

Reading I: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Reading II: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 GOSPEL: Mark 1:14-20 Free Agent: Are You Looking For A New Team? It's time to use your imagination. Picture this, if you will: You are a professional football player – and a free a...

Reading I: Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Reading II: 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 GOSPEL: Mark 1:21-28 Authority & Recognition In today's Gospel, the people in the synagogue are amazed at Jesus, as evidenced by the fact that they say he teaches “with authority.” So ...

Reading I: Job 7:1-4, 6-7 Reading II: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 GOSPEL: Mark 1:29-39 Lamenting Life If you take a closer look at today's first reading, you may notice something familiar about Job's lament. You may notice that it could have been...

Reading I: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 Reading II: 1 Corinthians 10:31--11:1 GOSPEL: Mark 1:40-45 The Cat is Out of the Bag! I have a really great secret to tell you. There’s just one catch: If I tell you this, do you promise not to tell anyone? And I...

Reading I: Exodus 24:3-8 Reading II: Hebrews 9:11-15 GOSPEL: Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 Your Mom Was Right! You Are What You Eat! When I was a kid, I loved macaroni and cheese. It was my favorite food. I could eat it four or five times a day. My mother...

Reading I: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 GOSPEL: Mark 4:26-34 3 Critical Ways that Jesus Shared His Message One of the things that Christians often struggle with is how to share the Gospel message – how to evangelize – in a w...

Reading I: Job 38:1,8-11 Reading II: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 GOSPEL: Mark 4:35-41 The 2 Questions You MUST Ask If You Are A Christian Being Christian does not mean that life will be easy. In fact, the challenges inherent with living as a disciple...

Reading I: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Reading II: 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13-15 GOSPEL: Mark 5:21-43 Fear Is Useless. Do You Know What Jesus Tells Us To Do Instead? It’s an unfortunate fact that our lives are quite often run by fear. We try hard in s...

Reading I: Ezekiel 2:2-5 Reading II: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 GOSPEL: Mark 6:1-6 Jesus, the Hometown Zero? It's easy for us to read the Gospels and get the impression that Jesus was cool, calm and collected. He never seems fazed by anything and he...

Reading I: Amos 7:12-15 Reading II: Ephesians 1:3-14 GOSPEL: Mark 6:7-13 Mission Impossible XX: Prophet of God Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to drop what you are doing, leave your home, and go out and preach the Good News of our...

Reading I: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Reading II: Ephesians 2:13-18 GOSPEL: Mark 6:30-34 The Reason You Shouldn’t Be Afraid When my oldest child was about two-and-a-half, he went through that stage where everything was scary. The dark was scary, noises were s...

Reading I: 2 Kings 4:42-44 Reading II: Ephesians 4:1-6 GOSPEL: John 6:1-15 3 Critical Ways to Live as a Christian This weekend we hear the great gospel story of the multiplying of the loaves and fishes. Jesus works a miracle and is able to feed...

Reading I: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 Reading II: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 Gospel: John 6:24-35 Being Bread for Others (or "What's a Manna You?") For many children in the United States, it would be great to be a kid forever! You'd never have to worry about...

Let’s not look at the Eucharist with skepticism – let’s look at it with our eyes of faith. The Real Presence is neither some antiquated belief nor an optional belief. The reason the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life” is becaus...

We need to remember that although Christ was fully human, he is also fully divine. When we share in the Eucharist, we share in his divinity, as well as in the community of the church. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.

As the original disciple - the first to say an unequivocal “YES!” to God - Mary provides an example for every single human being. And how do we follow her example? By hearing and obeying the word of God, which is a true blessing because in doing so, we ...

Our lives are filled with competing priorities and it’s an unfortunate fact that many people fall victim to the individualistic, narcissistic values that modern society seems to force-feed us. So for those of us who find ourselves struggling to keep l...

You’ve probably heard the saying before: “You can’t legislate morality.” The point that this cliché is trying to make is that you can’t turn an immoral person into a moral one by simply creating and enforcing laws. Judging by today’s Gospel reading alon...

The media shows images to strike fear in everyone. Jesus reminds us the call to holiness is a call to "wholeness" and fear has no place.

Denying oneself does not mean that we must go through life without joy or pleasure. But it does mean that we must be mindful of how and why we get that joy or pleasure. If we achieve feelings of joy and pleasure by putting the needs of others before our...

It’s no fun being the last person in line. The food is cold, you get the worst seat, and you miss half the fun. Where is the virtue in that?! Yet Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of ...

It’s nice doing little things like opening doors or simply saying "thanks." Besides, if you aren’t doing it, you may actually be helping others sin!

Jesus makes some intense statements about marriage. Should we take him literally or look a little deeper to see if there’s more nuance to his message?

If Jesus told you to sell what you have, give it to the poor and then follow him, what would you do?

Prestige, fame, authority, and recognition are strong motivators for people. Yet in order to follow Jesus, we must put others above ourselves.

As young people today, it can seem difficult to play the role of the prophet but your words and opinions ARE valuable because you are the Church of TODAY!

As Christians, we are called to create a world where ALL people are welcomed. (If you’re not doing that, how can you say you’re a follower of Christ?)

Reading I: 1 Kings 17:10-16 Reading II: Hebrews 9:24-28 GOSPEL: Mark 12:38-44 The Widow's Mite In today’s gospel reading, we hear the familiar story of the widow who places two mites – small Jewish coins worth only a few cents – into the colle...

Our mission as Christians is to use our words wisely. They may not be pondered for centuries but hopefully they can guide those who need today.

The Solemnity of Christ the King is a time for us to recall that we are not alone. We have Jesus as our guide, our leader, and our king!