We live in a world where it is easy to look away. With so many conveniences at our fingertips, the struggles of others can fade into the background — out of sight, out of mind. Yet the word of God this Sunday will not let us remain comfortable. It unsettles us, forcing us to see that faith without compassion becomes blindness, and comfort without responsibility becomes dangerous.
Sunday Scriptures
Lessons From St. Paul, Amos, & Father Garkowski
The prophet Amos does not mince words: “Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land” (Amos 8:4). He condemns those who exploit the vulnerable for profit, those who use their power not to protect but to oppress. Sadly, this warning is not ancient history. It echoes in our own time.
Resilience & Transformation: True Meaning of the Holy Cross
Every Sept. 14, Catholics around the world celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. At first glance, it may seem strange to exalt a cross — a tool once associated with execution, shame, and death.Yet for Christians, this day is not about glorifying pain. It is about remembering the love of God that transformed the cross into the greatest sign of life and hope.
The True Cost of Discipleship
Have you ever wanted something so deeply that you were willing to face criticism, discouragement, and even failure to reach it? That kind of perseverance, that willingness to pay a price for what matters most, is very close to what Jesus means when he speaks about the cost of discipleship.
Humility: The Door To The Banquet
Every Mass is a foretaste of the heavenly banquet. When we come forward to receive the Eucharist, we are all beggars before God. No one here has earned this food; it is all a pure gift.
How Discipline Shapes Our Spiritual Journey
The epistle we proclaim this Sunday from the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us all about discipline: “My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges. Endure your trials as ‘discipline’; God treats you as sons. …”
Set the World Ablaze With Christ’s Love
Being inflamed with the love of the Lord should be the goal of each and every Christian. By our words and our actions, we need to set the earth on fire. We should be on fire with the message, the basic kerygma, as we said in the former translation of the Mass in English — “Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.”
May We Always Give 100% To Christ and the Church
At the risk of dating myself, the first U.S. president of whom I was conscious was Jimmy Carter. I seem to have vague recollections of the hostages being held in Iran and that Carter was the president. Most likely, I knew who the president was through my older siblings telling me of Dan Aykroyd’s impressions of Carter on Saturday Night Live. Whatever one may think of Carter’s politics, one can hardly argue that he wasn’t a strong practicing Christian man.
Finding Meaning Beyond the Cycles of Time
In today’s first reading from Ecclesiastes, we hear the famous refrain of the reacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” The writer of Ecclesiastes is grappling with the reality of human life, and he declares that all human toil — work, striving, and effort — is ultimately futile.
Lessons From Abraham’s Negotiation With God
God really loves us. It’s a statement used so often as to perhaps sound trite, but it is deeply true. Abraham learns this lesson through his negotiation in today’s first reading, seemingly haggling for God’s mercy.