Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17 This entry is now in its third rendition. Not due to the editorial comments of a friend who reads my near about weekly entries, but because my computer keeps...
Is 61:1-2a, 10-11 1 Thes 5:16-24 Jn 1:6-8, 19-28 From Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted...
Is 40:1-5, 9-11 2 Pt 3:8-14 Mk 1:1-8 Just last week I heard someone say loudly in the lobby, “Hey chaplain lady!” I kept walking because I am so new I thought it had to...
Is 63:16b-17, 19b; 64:2-7 1 Cor 1:3-9 Mk 13:33-37 I read the readings for the first Sunday of Advent just after finishing a 15 hour shift at the hospital. My mind was swimming with...
Prv 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31 1 Thes 5:1-6 Mt 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-21 Two weeks ago I began a new job as staff chaplain for the medical and surgery units of a large hospital. Alth...
Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17 Jn 2:13-22 This pilgrim was sick last week and unable to put forth an entry… now to the readings of November 9th. A few weeks ago I wa...
Ex 22:20-26 1 Thes 1:5c-10 Mt 22:34-40 “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first...
Is 45:1, 4-6 1 Thes 1:1-5b Mt 22:15-21 For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel, my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not. I ha...
Is 25:6-10a Phil 4:12-14, 19-20 Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10 Recently I was asked to do a memorial service for a friend’s brother. The memorial service was held in a nearby town at ...
Is 5:1-7 Phil 4:6-9 Mt 21:33-43 The Vineyard In the readings for Sunday October 5th, we enter the world of the vineyard. In the first reading we hear about the owner doing everythi...
Ez 18:25-28 Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5 Mt 21:28-32 I was listening to tapes on compassion and generosity a few weeks ago. The speaker said that her father always had money in his pocket ...
I can still hear my siblings and I say, “Places saved,” as we left our seat and headed off to use the bathroom during the television commercial. I don’t remember ...
Nm 21:4b-9 Phil 2:6-11 Jn 3:13-17 About sixteen years ago I went for eight days with a group of women in August on a camping and canoeing trip to the northern boundaries of Minneso...
Is 22:19-23 Rom 11:33-36 Mt 16:13-20 Who Belongs in the Circle? Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of...
Is 56:1, 6-7 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 Mt 15:21-28 Who Belongs in the Circle? The readings for the Sunday of August 17th made me think about the times in my life when I was an outsider t...
1 Kgs 19:9a, 11-13a Rom 9:1-5 Mt 14:22-33 The Otherside I am from a large family and there were many times that I looked on as one of my siblings tried to do something for the firs...
Is 55:1-3 Rom 8:35, 37-39 Mt 14:13-21 Familiar Fish and New Fishing Rods A few years ago I went out with the director of our chaplaincy department and another chaplain to go fishin...
Mt 13:44-52 Jesus said to his disciples: “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all ...
Rom 8:26-27 Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groa...
Acts 12:1-11 The angel said to him, “Put on your belt and your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” and from all tha...
Jer. 20:10-13 All those who were my friends are on the watch for any misstep of mine. ‘Perhaps he will be trapped; then we can prevail, and take our vengeance on him.’ ...
Ex 19:2-6a Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You sha...
Rom 4:18-25 Brothers and sisters: Abraham believed, hoping against hope, that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shal...
Dt 11:18, 26-28, 32 …Moses told the people, “Take these words of mine into your heart and soul. Bind them at your wrist as a sign, and let them be a pendant on your for...
Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a Moses said to the people: “Remember how for forty years now the LORD, your God, has directed all your journeying in the desert, so as to test you by afflict...
Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9 Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. Then he said, “If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necke...
Acts 2:1-11 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 Jn 20:19-23. The Bicycle I heard a young girl crying the other night when I was walking the dogs. I couldn’t see where she was or what she wa...
Mt 28:16-20 The Call of the Spirit On the readings for Sunday, May 4th, we read from the very last chapter of Matthew. It is the swan song of Jesus, the Christ, before He ascends i...
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 1 Pt 3:15-18 Jn 14:15-21 The Face in the Mirror As I thought about the readings for the Sunday of April 27th, the gospel stirred up in me a surprising smile. How ...
Acts 6:1-7 1 Pt 2:4-9 Jn 14:1-12 God’s Prism A few years ago I was asked to do a funeral/celebration of life worship service for a patient. She was an amazing woman who other...
Acts 2:14, 22-33 1 Pt 1:17-21 Lk 24:13-35 Roadside Conversations As I read the gospel of April 6th I wondered, “What were the niceties that the people shared at the time that...
Acts 2:42-47 1 Pt 1:3-9 Jn 20:19-31 Inner Room I love the readings from the Sunday of March 30th. It touches on values that I hold most dear and in the gospel it states that Christ...
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Col 3:1-4 or I Cor 5:6b-8 Jn 20:1-9 Who was that Man? The day before Easter a friend and I were taking our dogs to be groomed. In many ways it had been a wonderf...
Is 50:4-7 Phil 2:6-11 Mt 26:14-27:66 or 27:11-54. Which Crowd? There it was the Palm Sunday celebration. My friend Alice and I head off to Sunday’s celebration. I got let off...
Ez 37:12-14 Rom 8:8-11 Jn 11:1-45 or 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45 Let Your Ears be Attentive In church a few weeks ago the priest presider was sending the younger children off for the...
1 Sm 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41 or 9:1, 6-9, 13-17, 34-38 Life Turned Upside Down Again after another bout of being sick in bed I re-enter my world of work and being ...
Gn 2:7-9; 3:1-7 Rom 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19 Mt 4:1-11 Garage Temptations I spent the weekend putting together two shelving unites for the garage. A friend and I put the first shelf ...
Is 8:23-9:3 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17 Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17 The Right Stuff Right now in the United States there seems to be very few places that you can go where you are not inundated wit...
Is 49:3, 5-6 1 Cor 1:1-3 Jn 1:29-34. The Glory of God The readings from Sunday January 20th stir up in me questions and reactions. The first question is from the Isaiah, have I eve...
Is 42:1-4, 6-7 Acts 10:34-38 Mt 3:13-17 A Simple Handshake In one of my chaplain internships I worked at Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston. I was so nervous to enter the...
Readings: Is 60:1-6, 10 Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 Mt 2:1-12. The Guiding Light I often wonder how many special stars I have missed which were in plain sight which would have led me to the Ch...
