Archives

Jesus sums up law of the entire universe with beautiful, profound simplicity

Father Timothy Hepner

By Father Timothy Hepner Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time/Oct. 25 Exodus 22:20-26; Psalm 18:2-3,3-4,47,51; 1 Thessalonians 1:5c-10; Matthew 22:34-40 “I have made this letter longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter,” wrote Blaise Pascal. Real simplicity requires genius. The holy grail of physics is the “theory of everything” that will […]

Continue reading

Accept the invitation, respond with love

Father Timothy Hepner

By Father Timothy Hepner Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time/Oct. 11 Isaiah 25:6-10a; Psalm 23:1-3a,3b-4,5,6; Philippians 4:12-14,19-20; Matthew 22:1-14 Sitting with a group of high school boys, I introduced myself: “I’m the vocation director.” They seemed apprehensive. “When I say ‘vocation,’ do you think, ‘priesthood’?” They responded with anxious head nods. “And does that scare you?” The […]

Continue reading

God calls us to conversion, offers what we need

Father R. Michael Schaab

By Father R. Michael Schaab Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time/Sept. 27 Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25:4-5,6-7,8-9; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32 Our bodies convert nutrients into tissue. Football teams often attempt a 2-point conversion in close games. Builders convert single family homes into duplexes. This Sunday’s Scripture readings are all about conversion and those who convert, although the […]

Continue reading

Christian morality is motivated by love

Father R. Michael Schaab

By Father R. Michael Schaab Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time/Sept. 13 Sirach 27:30 — 28:7; Psalm 103:1-2,3-4,9-10,11-12; Romans 14:7-9; Matthew 18:21-35 Those who study comparative religions often ask what is unique about Christian morality. They point out that the world’s great faiths agree to a large degree on ethical issues, to the extent that the teachings […]

Continue reading

Contrast, contradiction, paradox, grace

Father R. Michael Schaab

By Father R. Michael Schaab Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time/Aug. 30 Jeremiah 20:7-9; Psalm 63:2,3-4,5-6,8-9; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 16:21-27 Three words help us understand the readings for this Sunday — contrast, contradiction and paradox. Contrast means one thing is strikingly different from another. Today’s Gospel stands in contrast to last week’s Gospel, Peter’s profession of […]

Continue reading

Who is invited to the Kingdom of God?

Tim Irwin

By Tim Irwin Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time/Aug. 16 Isaiah 56:1,6-7; Psalm 67:2-3,5,6,8; Romans 11:13-15,29-32; Matthew 15:21-28 A subtle tension permeates the Gospel according to St. Matthew concerning to whom the invitation to enter the Kingdom of God is directed. The Children of Israel certainly top the list of invitees, but since the 11th chapter of […]

Continue reading

Expect a miracle at Mass this Sunday

Tim Irwin

By Tim Irwin 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Aug. 2 Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm 145:8-9,15-16,17-18; Romans 8:35,37-39; Matthew 14:13-21 All creatures great and small eat in order to live. Long before we learn how to speak, read, write, or even use the porcelain facilities, we learn how to feed ourselves. No surprise, then, that dining serves as a […]

Continue reading

Our life’s ‘weeds’ and God’s leniency

Shawn Reeves

By Shawn Reeves 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time/July 19 Wisdom 12:13,16-19; Psalm 86:5-6,9-10,15-16; Romans 8:26-27; Matthew 13:24-43 My children span the ages of 19 to newborn. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what it means to be a good father. Lenience toward your children’s mistakes is certainly key, a feature I have not […]

Continue reading

In the Spirit of Christ are life and rest

Shawn Reeves

By Shawn Reeves 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time/July 5 Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 145:1-2,8-9,10-11,13-14; Romans 8:9,11-13; Matthew 11:25-30 I have bouts with insomnia. Often my mind can find no rest. Problems, planning, tasks, and obligations weigh it down and push sleep away. It is a frustrating and fatiguing phenomenon. In our first reading, God announces a message […]

Continue reading

The constancy of God is our security

Shawn Reeves

By Shawn Reeves Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time/June 21 Jeremiah 20:10-13; Psalm 69:8-10,14,17,33-35; Romans 5:12-15; Matthew 10:26-33 My wife and I have been married for more than 20 years, and we are not the same people we were when we said our vows. St. John Henry Cardinal Newman once famously wrote, “Growth is the only evidence […]

Continue reading
SPALDING PASTORAL CENTER | 419 NE MADISON AVENUE | PEORIA, IL 61603 | PHONE (309) 671-1550 | FAX (309) 671-1595
© Copyright 2023 - The Catholic Post || 2 || All Rights Reserved || Design by TBare.com