This morning was cloudy and rainy. Everything appeared drab and gray as the light from the sun was blocked by a thick cloud cover. Even the moods of people seemed muted and subdued. Yesterday, in contrast, was a beautiful ...

In the selection from St. Luke's gospel for today's liturgy, Jesus' words are addressed to "great crowds" traveling with him. He tells them what it means to be his disciple. Clearly it is not for everyone; discipleship ...

In Matthew's gospel from Sunday, October 27th, we are reminded that the greatest commandment is to love God as well as to love our neighbor as ourselves.|Relationship is being human ... we are not made to be islands unto ...

Following Jesus as his disciple is not easy - then or now!||In the gospels Jesus never left his followers with the impression that being his disciple would be easy. He realized that it would involve a radical break with ...

Philippians 2: 12-18; "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."|Psalm 27: 1, 4, 13-14 "...One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life..."|Luke 14: 25-33 ...

It is not easy to be a follower of Jesus. It wasn't in Jesus' own day, and it isn't today.||Following Jesus for the original disciples meant breaking away from father, mother, wife, children, sisters, brothers -- and all ...

"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."||This directive from Jesus in this gospel used to mess me up as a kid. ...

As I've read through the readings for November 4th, these passages have most impressed me:||From Philippians: 2:13 "because God is always at work in you to make you willing and able to obey his own purpose."|From Psalm ...

|It may not sound like it at first, but the closing part of the gospel reading is particularly challenging for us today: Jesus speaks and commands with authority and power. When we see flyers announcing lectures, we often ...

|My mind kept wandering as I read and reread today's readings.  Usually I spot a theme the first time I go through the readings, but not with today's. There were so many avenues to explore, my mind bounced from idea to ...