Sunday, November 24, 2013 Thoughts on the Gospels –by Joe Feast of Christ The King Luke 23:35-43 The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, “He saved others, let him save hi...
Love God; Love Life Thoughts on the Gospels –by Joe 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 21:5-19 There’s a strain in Christian spirituality that urges us not to overly involve o...
Jesus: The God We Know Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 32th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 20:27-38 To me the most interesting element of this story of Sadducees trying to trap Jesus wi...
Don’t Make Them Look Worse; Help Them Do Better Thoughts on the Gospels -by Joe 31th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 19:1-10 Jesus’ interaction with the tax collector, Zacchaeus...
Striving For Unity Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 18: 9-14 I’m somebody because he’s less. We all know people who get through the day by convincing ...
Faith Never Gives Up Thoughts on the Gospel -Joe 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 18: 1-8 Everyone knows that kids are relentless with their parents. They never give up when they ...
Sharing The Gift Of Freedom Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 17:11-19 “I prayed a lot for that job. I really needed it. I don’t know why God didn’t he...
The God Beyond Our Assumptions Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 17:5-10 When people hear Jesus say that masters have servants to wait on them, not to ...
For The Poor – Do Everything You Can Thoughts on the Gospels –by Joe 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 16: 19-31 I find Jesus’ story of Lazarus, the poor man who lived ...
Faith Begins With Questioning Assumptions Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 16: 1-13 The parable of the unjust steward makes sense when we know that, i...
Fairness Isn’t Enough Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke15:1-32 When my brothers and sister and I were growing up being fair was an important noti...
If It’s Worth Living, Live It All The Way -Joe Thoughts on the Gospel 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 14:25-33 When I was about eight I decided that I wanted to join Little...
Moving Beyond Good Manners Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 14: 1, 7-14 In Luke’s gospel Jesus tells a group of fellow dinner guests that they w...
Salvation: Not A Test; An Opportunity Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke13:22-30 Frequently people chart the progress of their education, from grade one...
Love Is The Heart Of Prophesy Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 20th Sunday in Ordinary Tim Luke 12: 49-53 You’re a troublemaker. That was a dangerous accusation when we were kids. Some...
A Promising, Dangerous Faith Thoughts on the Gospels –by Joe 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 12: 32-48 Your destiny is not struggle and misery ending in blackness. Trust yo...
Doing God’s Work God’s Way Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 12:13-21 Why doesn’t God make things right? People have asked me that question...
God’s Spirit Moves All Forward Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 11:1-13 Why would anyone want the Holy Spirit? The quickest answer to that...
Work And Prayer: The Crucial Balance Thoughts on the Gospels – by Joe 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10:38-42 My mother had a prayer in her kitchen that went: “Be with me ...
Moving Beyond The Rules Thoughts on the Gospels by Joe 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10:25-37 The Ten Commandments aren’t difficult. They’re straightforward and obvious. Except...
Faith Can’t Be Safe Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10:1-12,17-20 Passing rattlesnakes from one person to another has never been a part of Cath...
The Gospel Is The Teller And The Story Thoughts on the Gospels -by Joe 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 9:51-62 Does the world have a story? Christians say yes, the world has a st...
Suffering’s Role Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 9:18-24 For centuries after he had been executed and raised from death many of Jesus’ fo...
Wanted: Faith In A Way Of Life Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 7:36-8:3 Steps to becoming a swimmer: # 1, believe you can swim. That sentence was on ...
The Gospel: Don’t Give In Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 7:11-17 “What am I going to do?” Those are some of the saddest words anyone can speak...
In Life’s Banquet Christians Are Cooks Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ Luke 9: 11-17 As many high school students do I frequently waited ti...
Listen For God With Many Ears Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe Feast of The Holy Trinity John 16:12-15 I’ve had countless conversations that began, “So what do Catholics believe about ...
The Spirit Gives Freedom As Well As Responsibility Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe The Feast of Pentecost John 14:15-16, 23-26 Not long ago I was in a conversation with several long-t...
Faith: Its Freedom and Its Consequences Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 7th Sunday of Easter John 17:20-26 Jesus once said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the ...
Searching For Jesus? Look For His Spirit Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 6th Sunday of Easter John 14:23-29 In this week’s gospel Jesus says that those who have come to love him will ...
God Is There For The World – Always Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 5th Sunday of Easter John 13:31-33, 34-35 It strains the imagination to think that anyone acquainted wi...
An Open Armed: An Opened Armed People Thoughts on the Gospels – Joe 4th Sunday of Easter John 10:27-30 It makes no sense for us, as members of a faith community, to ask other...
It’s About The Future Not The Past Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 3rd Sunday of Easter John 21:1-19 The gospel this week tells of Jesus feeding people. It’s not a new story. Je...
Forgive: #1 On Our To Do list Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 2nd Sunday of Easter John 20:19-31 With good reason John’s Gospel joins Jesus’ giving the Holy Spirit to the disciples wi...
Easter’s Message Is Now Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe Easter Sunday Luke24:1-12 The term Son of Man appears frequently in Hebrew Scriptures. It refers to a human being w...
The Love Is Unique, Not The Suffering Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe Palm Sunday Luke23:33-46 In high school a religion teacher assigned us a book that described scourging, crowning ...
Our Worth Is A Gift Not A Payment Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 5th Sunday in Lent John 8:1-11 When I was a child I wanted to pitch in Little League. I would stand in the back...
Forgiveness: Love’s Core Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 4th Sunday in Lent Luke15:1-3, 11-32 When we think of forgiving people, we often imagine those closest to us: spouses, c...
Behavior Matters Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 3rd Sunday in Lent Luke13:1-9 A perennial source of anxiety in university life is the freshman first semester. From the minute n...
Beyond Today’s Joy And Sorrow Thoughts on the Gospel -Joe 2nd Sunday in Lent Luke9:28-36 Tuesday it’s pazckis (aka, punchkies) and parties. Dancing, jazz and samba. Wake up W...
Doing Evil Is Doing Evil Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 1st Sunday in Lent Luke4:1-13 Should I embezzle money from my employer to buy myself a Corvette? Most folks would reject this ...
The Gift We Have To Offer Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke5:1-11 This amazing fish tale in John’s Gospel is about the fishermen, not the fish. The comm...
Building A Spirituality Together Thoughts on the First Readings -Joe 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke4:21-30 Over the years the married folks in our parish prepared more than a tho...
Faith That Does All It Can Thoughts on the First Readings –Joe 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke1:1-4; 4:1`4-21 Jesus sounds so confident in this gospel. He is God’s Messiah, ...
A Creator Who Caters Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time John 2:1-11 What a party. Days of eating, drinking, singing and dancing then Jesus provides more...
God Amidst The Sin Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe The Baptism of the Lord Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 Here’s a question: why did Jesus, the presence of God in our lives, ask to partici...
Building The World We’re Given Thoughts on the Gospels – Joe Feast of the Epiphany Matthew 2:1-12 Scripture depicts the Reign of God as the crux of Jesus’ life. It’s an...
Jesus: The Biography Of God Thoughts on the Gospels -Joe Feast of the Holy Family Luke 2:41-52 It’s easy to overlook Jesus’ words, “I have to be about my Father’s business.” We exp...
Christ Today Thoughts on the Gospels –by Joe 4th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:39-45 By the generation after Jesus’ death his followers were reflecting on what it meant that Mary, ...
Getting Serious About God’s Future Thoughts on the Gospels –Joe 3rd Sunday of Advent Luke 3:10-18 I’ve met Christians who rarely give the reign of God a thought and oth...
Dare to Repent Thoughts on the Gospels – Joe 2nd Sunday in Advent Luke 3:1-6 There were seven children in my family. As was true for most of the people I knew, money was tigh...
Don’t Make Them Wait Thoughts on the Gospels – Joe 1st Sunday in Advent Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 “Are you waiting for a personal invitation?” Those were my dad’s words when...
