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MAKING GREAT

Of the over 500 words we just heard proclaimed from the scriptures, there’s one, single, five letter word that has the power to derail everything I might want to preach today.  A simple adjective that…

GHOSTING THE DEVIL

You’ve probably heard the warning “Don’t dance with the devil.”  But the problem starts long before the dance.  It starts when you agree to the conversation. The devil usually doesn’t kick in the door, he…

BEYOND THE BARE MINIMUM

If you were to take a look at my school transcripts you would pretty quickly see that I was not the greatest of students.  Nothing dramatic that screamed “what is up with that?”  In a…

ARE YOU SALTY ENOUGH

A week ago at Sunday Mass, we started into what many scholars call “the greatest sermon ever given”—the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus opens with some of the most recognizable lines from scripture, the Beatitudes:…

UPSIDE DOWN BLESSING

Today’s Gospel is one of those passages we almost know too well. “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”—we hear it and instantly recognize the script. It’s like the Jeopardy clue everyone gets right: “What are…

BEYOND BORDERS – THE LIGHT BREAKS IN

I’ve got a confession that tends to surprise people—especially the seminarians I work with as a spiritual director. Every so often, one of them comes back from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They’re glowing.…

NOT ADVICE- SALVATION: BEHOLD THE LAMB

Have you ever been handed one of those inspirational quote sheets—maybe during an icebreaker, a retreat, or a mandatory HR training—where someone proudly points out how every religion basically says the same thing? “Do unto…

UNBOXING CHRISTMAS: THE RESCUE BEGINS

For most people, Christmas is already over. The decorations are boxed away, the trees are on the curb, and the familiar rhythm of daily life has returned. The music has faded, the gatherings are finished,…

SEEN, SOUGHT, CHANGED

Happy New Year, everyone. If you’re like most people, you’ve already thought at least once: This year has to be different.  Not perfect. But different. There’s something about flipping the calendar that makes us startlingly…