Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b; Matthew 22:15-21

…from your Pastor’s Desk – ‘Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God’ (Mark 12:13-17) In Jesus’ day, Roman coins, like the denarius mentioned in the Gospel reading, bore an image of the Roman Emperor of the day, …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14 OR 22:1-10

…from your Pastor’s Desk – The First Reading says that the Lord of hosts will provide a feast for His people, a feast of choice wines and rich and juicy food. Rich food is the kind that our culture warns us against. …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43

…from your Pastor’s Desk – Can you relate to any of these questions? – 1. What do I have to do to become a Catholic? 2. I was baptized Catholic, but that’s about it. How do I get my other Sacraments? 3. My fiancée is Catholic and we want to get married in the church, and I want to become a Catholic – what do I do? …

Sunday’s Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9; Philippians 2:1-11 OR 2:1-5; Matthew 21:28-32

…from your Pastor’s Desk – Here is a question I am often asked: Why do bad things happen to good people? There are clues. First, how many people do you know who are completely good or completely bad? A childlike, over-simplified belief says that good friends are always good. …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18; Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a; Matthew 20:1-16a

…from your Pastor’s Desk – JUST IMAGINE – I taught grade school religion for a short semester when I was about 22. By accident I discovered a great trick of teaching, one I needed very much. The class, you see, was in complete chaos each time I arrived in mid-day. But if I told a story, even the simplest story, the pandemonium ceased. …

Sunday’s Readings: Sirach 27:30—28:7; Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35

…from your Pastor’s Desk – Love and Forgiveness – In the Gospel reading, Peter wants to know how many times he has to forgive someone who sins against him. What is the number of times, Peter wants to know, that he has to forgive that sinner? But this question is confused. …

Sunday’s Readings: Ezekiel 33:7-9; Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9; Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 18:15-20

…from your Pastor’s Desk – If somebody does you wrong – do you wrong them right back, or even greater? Well, maybe you do – but the Gospel today shows us how, in great detail, we are to do otherwise, especially those within our own community, be it faith or family. …

Sunday’s Readings: Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27

…from your Pastor’s Desk – “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” To understand today’s Gospel we must look back to a time in our lives when, in retrospect, we see that something, or someone we wanted, and didn’t get – turned out to be the very best in the long run. …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20

…from your Pastor’s Desk – “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” – “He’s a man, he’s just a man,” sang Mary Magdalene in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. It is one answer to the question, Who is Jesus Christ? …

Sunday’s Readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Romans 11:13-15, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28

…from your Pastor’s Desk – Food for Dogs? – Sunday’s Gospel can give a headache both to preachers and to people in the pews. Jesus refuses to hear a woman because she is, in his metaphor, one of the “dogs.” OUCH. You know the story. The Canaanite woman cries out for help and Jesus at first will not even talk to her. …