4th Sunday of the YearDeuteronomy 18:15–20; 1 Corinthians 7:32–35; Mark 1:21–28Two Kingdoms in Conflict Jesus inaugurated God’s kingdom, but he left its completion to us. We must work harder at this task.In the 1970s the movie The Exorcist was breaking box-office records. It concerned a young person who was possessed by an evil spirit, not unlike t

7th Sunday of the YearIsaiah 43:18–19, 21–22, 24–25; 2 Corinthians 1:18–22;Mark 2:1–12The Monkey’s WireThe sacrament of Reconciliation frees us from the bonds of sin.The book God’s Smuggler tells the story of a Dutch missionary named Brother Andrew. This missionary took upon himself the job of smuggling Bibles into communist countries.Brother Andre

6th Sunday of the YearLeviticus 13:1–2, 44–46; 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1;Mark 1:40–45Be Healed!For those who believe, no tragedy is so great that Jesus can’t make of it something better.In 1981 Peter Cropper, the British violinist, was invited to Finland to play a special concert. As a personal favor to Peter, the Royal Academy of Music lent him the

8th Sunday of the YearHosea 2:16–17, 21–22; 2 Corinthians 3:1–6; Mark 2:18–22Why Don’t They Fast?We must be aware, lest habituation destroy our worship of God.Ancient Egyptians fasted to look younger. Ancient Greeks fasted to be more mentally alert. American Indians fasted to show courage. Russian icon artists fasted to paint better.These interesti

Body and Blood of ChristExodus 24:3–8; Hebrews 9:11–15; Mark 14:12–16, 22–26The DoorThe Eucharist was prefigured at Cana, promised at Capernaum, instituted at Jerusalem, and celebrated at Emmaus.An artist designed an unusual door for a church in Germany. He divided the door into four panels. Each panel depicts several symbols referring to a gospel

Trinity SundayDeuteronomy 4:32–34, 39–40; Romans 8:14–17;Matthew 28:16–20The SundialA practical prayer exercise can help the doctrine of the Trinity come alive in our daily lives.Years agoa missionary who worked in rural Africa returned home to England for a short vacation.While he was home, he happened to run across a beautiful sundial. Immediatel

10th Sunday of the YearGenesis 3:9–15; 2 Corinthians 4:13–5:1; Mark 3:20–35Mrs. Hannah“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done . . . and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”Mrs. Hannah is a widow in Colorado. One day her daughter was murdered. The assailant was eventually apprehended, found guilty, and imprisoned.But M

9th Sunday of the YearDeuteronomy 5:12–15; 2 Corinthians 4:6–11; Mark 2:23–28LiliLike the Jews of Jesus’ time, we often get the cart before the horse.Years ago there was a delightful movie called Lili. You can still see it on television occasionally.Lili was a young girl in France who traveled about with a circus. Since there were few girls her age

12th Sunday of the YearJob 38:1, 8–11; 2 Corinthians 5:14–17; Mark 4:35–41Amazing GraceIt often takes a storm to discover not only our heavenly Father but even our own earthly father.John Newton was the son of an English sea captain.When John was ten, his mother died and he went to sea with his father.The boy learned the sea backward and forward. A

11th Sunday of the YearEzekiel 17:22–24; 2 Corinthians 5:6–10; Mark 4:26–34KnotholesGod planted the seed of his kingdom in our heart. We must nurture it with trust and with patience.In the early years of baseball, there weren’t any reenforced concrete stadiums. There was only a grandstand with a broad fence enclosing the outfield.Sometimes the boar

14th Sunday of the YearExodus 2:2–5; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; Mark 6:1–6Pepe LePewPeople will reject us; but if we continue to love, our love will eventually bear fruit.In 1960 a religious persecution broke out in the territory of Sudan in Africa.A Christian black student named Paride Taban fled the danger and went to Uganda. While in Uganda, he stud

13th Sunday of the YearWisdom 1:13–15; 2:23–24; 2 Corinthians 8:7, 9, 13–15;Mark 5:21–43Partners, Not PuppetsGod helps those who help themselves.One spring a terrible flood engulfed a rural area. It stranded an old woman in her house. As the woman stood at her kitchen window, a boat appeared. The driver said, “Climb aboard and save yourself.”“No th

16th Sunday of the YearJeremiah 23:1–6; Ephesians 2:13–18; Mark 6:30–34Four ShepherdsWhen our responsibilities threaten to crush us, we should turn to God in prayer.One name stood out above all the rest in the civil rights movement of the ’50s and ’60s. That was the name Martin Luther King.King was the undisputed leader of millions of black America

15th Sunday of the YearAmos 7:12–15; Ephesians 1:3–14; Mark 6:7–13Il PoverelloAll of us are called to preach the Gospel, especially by lives of service.Saint Francis of Assisi was born into a wealthy Italian family. As a teenager, he was a playboy and a spendthrift. He used his generous allowance to pay the bills of his rowdy friends.Then in the y

18th Sunday of the YearExodus 16:2–4, 12–15; Ephesians 4:17, 20–24; John 6:24–35Is Something Missing?There’s a hunger in all of us that only Jesus can fill.Let’s begin by asking a rather unusual question. Were you ever hungry for something, but you didn’t know what?For example,did you ever go to the refrigerator, open the door, look at everything o

17th Sunday of the Year2 Kings 4:42–44; Ephesians 4:1–6; John 6:1–15Loaves and FishIf we give what we have to Jesus, he can multiply it beyond our greatest expectations.Jay Kesler has written a book called Growing Places. He tells how one night he was on a plane descending into an airport in India.As the plane touched down, he noticed the bodies of

20th Sunday of the YearProverbs 9:1–6; Ephesians 5:15–20; John 6:51–58Marie and JohnThe Eucharist is a beautiful expression of faith and love.Some time ago a college student named Marie wrote an article called “I Bring Jesus to John.”Marie is a eucharistic minister in her parish. Each Sundayshe attends the ten o’clock Mass. After Mass she takes the

AssumptionRevelation 11:19; 12:1–6, 10; 1 Corinthians 15:20–26; Luke 1:39–56Jungle SurvivalHeaven is our destiny, and Mary wants to help us in our struggle to reach it.The popular TV show “St. Elsewhere” deals with life in a busy hospital.At one time, one of the show’s young doctors, Dr. Caldwell, was played by Mark Harmon. Mark is also the young p

19th Sunday of the Year1 Kings 19:4–8; Ephesians 4:30–5:2; John 6:41–51A Dream Come TrueJesus tells us his disciples about eternal life and what they must do to acquire it.At first glance it doesn’t seem that a 16th-century explorer,some 20th-century senior citizens, and an ancient Chinese emperor would have much in common. But they do.The 16th-cen

22nd Sunday of the YearDeuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–8; James 1:17–18, 21–22, 27;Mark 7:1–8, 14–15, 21–23The Rabbi PrisonerThe heart of religion is not ritual and law, but love of God and neighbor.William Barclay, the Scottish theologian, tells the story about an old rabbi who was in a Roman prison. He was on a minimal ration of food and water. It was just