Tuesday, 5th Week of Lent             “If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”             Jesus’ message is very clear: Faith that he is the Son of God leads to life. Disbelief leads to death. Our tendency might be to look down on those Pharisees who refused to believe … Continue reading FAITH AND PRAYER

Monday, 5th Week of Lent             “I am the light of the world.”             It is obvious that a torch that is not lit is useless. A flashlight that is not turned on is powerless. A match that is not struck is unnecessary. A candle that does not burn is irrelevant. A light that is … Continue reading TURN ON THE LIGHT

5th Sunday of Lent                           A priest-friend of mine was about to be transferred to another parish. He confided to me that his assignment was not yet final. Without him asking for it, his Bishop had given him the opportunity to think and pray first, then decide whether to accept it or not. His Bishop … Continue reading DECIDE TO LOVE… BY DYING

5th Sunday of Lent                           A lighted candle says this to us: “You have lighted me and now you gaze into my flame.” “You enjoy the warmth and brightness that I spread.” “I’m happy to be useful and to burn for your pleasure.” “Otherwise, I would just be lying idle in some box on a … Continue reading LIKE A CANDLE

5th Sunday of Lent                           A little boy was crying bitterly in class. The teacher asked what was wrong. And the boy said that his little sister was really dead, because they had put her in the ground, and covered her up             The teacher took the boy by the hand and brought him over … Continue reading PAIN REDEEMED

Saturday, 4th Week of Lent                            There is a legal principle called the “presumption of innocence” – which means that one is considered innocent unless proven guilty.             Nicodemus tried to make the same point with the Pharisees who had already condemned Jesus – by protesting: “Does our law condemn a person before it first … Continue reading RASH JUDGMENT

St. Joseph                          Always working in wonderful and mysterious ways, God chose a simple carpenter to be the foster father for his Son. How can this be? A mere man, charged with the upbringing of the Son of God? Much of this is mystery. But we know that when God calls someone to do something, … Continue reading GOD’S PERFECT PLAN

Thursday, 4th Week of Lent                           “I do not accept human praise.”             Once I heard a priest-formator telling seminarians: “If people applaud you, great; if they don’t, great. Regardless, do not look for human praise. It is the guillotine of saints.”             Howard Stern is a very popular American radio and television personality, producer, … Continue reading ADDICTION TO HUMAN PRAISE

Wednesday, 4th Week of Lent                       Let me give you a short background of the first reading – of Isaiah 49. Some 700 years before the birth of Jesus, God’s people, the Israelites, were being battered into submission by powerful enemies. Leading citizens were being exiled into foreign lands. There was every reason to despair. … Continue reading ISAIAH 49

Tuesday, 4th Week of Lent             It is an odd question for Jesus to ask the ailing man, “Do you want to be well?” Maybe there was something in his never getting to the healing waters in time that led the Lord to see some reluctance on his part to get well. Maybe he had … Continue reading CLEANSING FROM AFFECTION FOR SIN