bible
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The readings through the octave of Easter (the eight days from Easter Sunday through the following Sunday), include the different sightings of the resurrected Jesus as their Gospels. Since that means pulling from four different sources, they jump around a little chronologically, and they feel more like a collection of snapshots captured by different photographers…
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There’s no place like home. This passage from Isaiah (65:17-21), which is the Old Testament reading for mass today (March 16, 2026), is meant to be a promise of hope. The image it presents – an entirely new reality, in which the past tears are wiped away and only joy exists, where no child dies…
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They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. -Psalm 106:37 When I can, I try to sneak off to daily Mass during my lunch break. Unlike the liturgy on Sundays, these are quiet, simple and quick: it’s usually at most a few dozen people in a mostly empty church, with no music (unless your…
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I seem to have taught the Facebook algorithm that I like t-shirts with faith-based slogans (which is fine by me). One popular one says “Be salty; Stay lit”, cheekily translating Matthew 5:13-14, in which Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, as part of…
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“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” One of the things I like to do early in the week is read through the Scripture passages that will be used that week at Mass. Catholics have a set (2-year) cycle of passages for each weekday mass, and a separate (3-year) cycle for Sundays. A lot…
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I’m studying Psalms, which has not been my thing, and stumbled upon one that I have never heard read liturgically, but it sure seems like a good one. Here’s a modern translation (The Voice): 1 Truly God is good to His people, Israel, to those with pure hearts.2 Though I know this is true, I almost lost my footing; yes, my steps were…
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We have a snake in our backyard. He’s a 2-3 foot black racer, and he likes to hang out on the rocks by our garden hoses, so I call him Rocky. I had a pet grass snake for a little while when I was young, so I don’t mind Rocky. April is another story. I’ve…
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How do we treat a traitor? Trust in institutions is broad and deep. We distrust almost everyone, it seems, and along with that distrust comes the feeling that people are betraying us, selling us out for power or wealth. Maybe it’s insurance executives delaying and denying claims so they can pocket more profit, or private…
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Did you know that I wrote a book? Are you looking for a book of short daily reflections that you can read this Advent season? Did you plan to buy my book, but never got around to it? Have you bought my book, loved it, and want to share it with others? If any of…
Reading Francis 