Sunday Gospel Reflections

He cried out in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, 'Untie him and let him go.' (John 11:43-44) My spirits soar when I…

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. (Psalm 34:19) I was feeling discouraged after a speaker I know told a story that put women in a very negative light. Even though he later apologized, I wondered if he really understood the effect his…

 They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt. (Psalm 106:21) In an interview with a father whose only son had been convicted of mass murder and sentenced to death, the father told of the deep love he had for…

When I read these first chapters of Luke’s Gospel, I can’t help but compare and contrast. On the one hand, there’s Zechariah — John the Baptist’s father — being struck mute in the temple, a grand, glorious place where only a few could…

‘It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ (John 5:10) It’s easy for me to shake my head in bewilderment at this response to Jesus’ miraculous healing of the paralytic. I want to shout that they are blind and…

See, I am creating new heavens and a new earth. (Isaiah 65:17) It would be nice if the most important questions in life had clearer answers than they do. Why are we here? Why do we suffer? What has God to do with it all? Why doesn’t Christ…

Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. (Pslam 51:3-4) A few years ago during Lent, I began praying the…

"It is so that the works of God might be made visible through him." (John 9:3) Jesus performed a great work in healing the man born blind. What a difference he must have made in that man’s life. We may feel our work has little or no impact…

Take with you words, and return to the Lord. (Hosea 14:3) Have you ever found yourself speechless when it comes to matters of faith? Have you ever stood open-mouthed when asked to give a reason for your hope in Christ? God knows I have. It…

For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift. (Romans 4:16) There is power and truth in the words of this short phrase. These words can serve as a prayer in moments when we want to renew the gift of our commitment to God.…