As a new student monk residing at Sant’ Anselmo, the Benedictine motherhouse in Rome, one of the first small tasks I had to master was to memorize the Latin version of one of the traditional monastic forms for grace before meals. The opening of this prayer was an adaptation of the Psalm we sing together […]
Continue ReadingJer 26:11-16, 24; Ps 69:15-16,30-31,33-34; Mt 14:1-12 Those who are poor, economically deprived and the spiritually poor, can put their trust in the LORD. Indeed, the lowly ones are called to rejoice and be glad. Those who seek the LORD are invited to a revival of heart. Such is the delight and revelry found […]
Continue ReadingJer 26:1-9; Ps 69:5,8-10,14; Mt 13:54-58 All great reformers of any institution are rejected and held in suspicion by everyone who resists the truth. With such leaders, we learn how to trust the LORD and pray in the words of Psalm 69. We take our refuge in the LORD, for in his great love he […]
Continue ReadingJer 18:1-6; Ps 146:1-6; Mt 13:47-53 Our days of friendship and service are filled with the blessedness of help from the God of Jacob; the LORD who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. The praise of God fills our souls. We do not put our trust in princes, in […]
Continue ReadingJer 15:10,16-21; Ps 59:2-4,10,11,17,18; Mt 13:44-46 The day of distress is the day we cry out with the Prophet Jeremiah, “Woe to me, mother, that you gave me birth!” When we regret even being born, we cry out with the words of Psalm 59. We need to be rescued from our true enemies, the very enemies […]
Continue ReadingJer 14:17-22; Ps 79:8,9,11,13; Mt 13:36-43 With great urgency we cry out to the LORD. With today’s psalm we pray, “May your compassion quickly come to us.” As in every Mass repentance is on our lips, we plead: LORD do not remember the iniquities of the past. Indeed, our guilt brings us very low. We […]
Continue ReadingJer 13:1-11; Deuteronomy 32:18-21; Mt 13:31-35 Sometimes the only way we learn the ways of God is to have him hide his face from us. Only when he hides his face do we grow in our longing to see his face. When we take the LORD for granted, it is then that he hides his […]
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The Gospel begins with a series of short sayings about finding things of value; a buried treasure, a precious pearl, and a net full of fish. Jesus compares these to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is instructing us that the Kingdom of Heaven is the most important and valuable treasure there is. Just like those […]
Continue Reading2 Cor 4:7-15; Ps 126:1-6; Mt 20:20-28 The best advertising is word of mouth. When people we trust tell us about a new product or a new program that has been a blessing for them we are more likely to purchase or participate than if we read about it or see an advert on a […]
Continue ReadingJer 3:14-17; Jeremiah 31:10,11,12,13; Mt 13:18-23 Jeremiah wanted to turn their mourning into joy. The prophet had the heart of a good shepherd. He summoned them to hear the word of the LORD and to proclaim that word on distant isles. Indeed, the word of the LORD is good news because it gathers them together, […]
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