Experiencing God

Sometimes we go looking for trouble. Sometimes it comes looking for us! Either way, the experience changes us. It’s the same when we deal with God. John, Andrew, and Simon were looking for the Messiah. But, as we also find

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Oops!

We all have those moments when we’re trying to show off, but we end up looking like fools . . . In today’s reading, the authorities were trying to show off and trap Jesus. “We’ll ask him if it’s good

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Fruits of the Kingdom

Today’s parable is about the return of the king and the disobedience of his servants. It’s easy to see this as an historical incident, but what if it speaks to us today? Judeans, the original hearers of scripture, easily understood

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Clash of Authorities

If you walk into a church, there’s a natural order: the bishop, the priest, the parish council. It was the same in Jesus’s day with the Temple. So, why was he so upset with the hierarchical structure as it was?

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Den of Robbers

Judeans from all around the world came to the Jerusalem Temple to make their sacrifices, be forgiven, and grow closer to God, so why would Jesus oppose it? Originally, the Israelites (or Judeans) didn’t have a Temple. Instead, they had

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The Touch

Sometimes, we’re afraid to approach God. We’re afraid to pray, go to confession, or approach for communion. Perhaps we haven’t fasted, or we’re embarrassed by our sins. Or, perhaps, we just don’t feel worthy of God’s love. This is common,

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The Test of the Rich Ruler

13th Sunday of Luke  If the rich young ruler had obeyed all the commandments since his youth, if he was an upstanding young man, why wasn’t this enough for Jesus? How could he be lacking anything? Today, a young ruler

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A Broken Promise?

Sometimes we read scriptural promises that we know aren’t true. Our reality doesn’t seem to match the reality of the Bible. How are we to understand this? In today’s reading, we hear Jesus promise that “nothing shall harm you.” But,

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The King’s Return

We all like comfort food. It reminds of good times and gives us a warm feeling inside. Comfort food is like the status quo—it’s what’s familiar to us. So, why was it a problem when the servant played it safe

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The Holy Temple And Virgin

What happens when holiness encounters the holy? In today’s feast, we find out. On November 21, we celebrate a biblical story that isn’t in the Bible. It’s the story of the Virgin Mother entering into the Jerusalem Temple as a

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