Cup o' Joe

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16, verses 15-18Today we celebrate a major feast day - the Conversion of Paul.  What may seem like a fringe incident as we listen to the Gospels and study the life of Jesus is actually central to who we are and how we came to be.  And it still holds truths for us all these years later.Original score written and performed by Bridget Zenk

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 3, verses 22-30On this Feast of St. Francis de Sales (bishop and doctor of the Church), Jesus speaks to us about Truth, even as He is being undermined by those around Him.  And toward the end, He speaks about the unforgiveable sin - the sin against the Holy Spirit.  Exactly what is that?  And how do we avoid falling into such a thing?Original music by Bridget Zenk

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 3, verses 13-19On this Feast of St. Agnes, we see Jesus invite people along for the journey.  The job description?  Be prepared to climb, stick together, don't get comfortable.  The qualifications?  Was it goodness?  Holiness?  Insight?  Nope.  Possibility...and the ability to say yes.  

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 3, verses 7-12Jesus, having faced confrontation at every turn, tries to get away.  But He just can't.  People seek Him out and press in upon Him.  Does he lash out and get angry, just asking others for space?  No.  Instead, He gets creative in how He creates that space.  We are also challenged to remain humble in our understanding and knowledge of God. 

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 3, verses 1-6We get what we watch for.  We see what we want to see.  So did the Pharisees.  They set a trap for Jesus and laid in wait...and He gave them exactly what they were hoping to see.  He gave them a reason to despise Him and want Him put to death.  We get what we watch for.  

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, verses 23-23Another day, another argument with the Pharisees.  This time, it deals with the law and the purpose of the law.  Jesus invites us into the law and invites us to wrestle with it.  Others would simply invite us to follow and not engage.  It's a worthy conversation for us today as well.  

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, verses 18-22Jesus is challenged by the disciples of both John the Baptist as well as the Pharisees for his lack of following the tradition.  And so He uses an odd example to make a point - using wineskins and old cloth.  But essentially He's saying this: what will we choose to take with us?  Why do we allow the past to dictate the present?  And what is going on within us that is so reluctant to see the world anew and forge our own way?

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, verses 1-12Today brings another healing.  That's no surprise in Mark's Gospel.  But how it comes about - through the faith and creativity of friends - is what captures our attention here.  We've been on both sides of this healing...on the mat and lowering another down.  Today, we thank God for the faith and creativity of those in our life who brought us to this place.  

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1, verses 40-45Three Gospels in a row, three healings.  Jesus isn't one to sit on the sidelines.  He's in the battle to bring about the Kingdom of God.  So what about us?

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1, verses 29-39Jesus leaves the synagogue and goes to the house of Peter - where he continues to teach his followers what the Kingdom looks like.  It looks like seeing those who are separate.  It looks like interceding for them.  And it looks like grasping their hand.  Second point?  What season of life are you in?

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1, verses 21-28Yesterday, Jesus called His followers.  Today, we see where He is leading them: to the synagogue where He will take the battle to the rulers/princes of this world.  And He does so through teaching and action.  And if we're following, that's our path, too.

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1, verses 14-20The baptism is accomplished, and now the mission begins...for Jesus and for us.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, verses 12-16Jesus.  A leper.  An encounter between the two.  We've seen this movie before and we know where it's going.  But there is an interaction between the two in this story that doesn't happen in many others.  And it's worth digging a little deeper into that interchange.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 4, verses 14-22Jesus, immediately after His baptism, is led by the Spirit into that place of unsettling quiet in order to ponder where His baptism was calling Him.  What was true then is also true now.  Our baptism invites us to mission.  Do we take the time in quiet places to listen to where that action and where the Spirit is calling us?

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6, verses 45-52Following the Feeding of the 5,000, Jesus sends his disciples out onto the Sea of Galilee without Him, seemingly for a test to see how they do without His presence.  Fittingly, they struggle and are filled with fear.  It's not until Jesus is invited in the boat that the winds die down and they can move forward.  Love or fear.  It's a decision we have to make every day.St. John Neumann, pray for us!

Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6, verses 34-44We listen to a familiar story today - the feeding of the 5,000.  And while we are still in the Christmas season, we may ask ourselves "Why hear this story now?  What does it have to do with Christmas?"  Really, everything.  Remember, Christ was laid in a manger...a feeding trough.  He is Bread for the world.  And He gives us a basket and says to us "Give them some food yourselves."St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4, verses 12-17, 23-25We begin to focus on the early ministry of Jesus, immediately after he comes out of the desert following his baptism.  What do we see?  His life changes.  He moves.  He publicly begins teaching  And he welcomes people from every geographic location.  In other words, he takes to heart his own message - "Repent"...turn around, see life differently.  In doing so, he becomes a light for those desperately in need of one.  

Gospel of John, Chapter 1, verses 1-18Today, we hear John's beautiful poem that opens up his Gospel - the one that reminds us that Jesus was there in the beginning of all things.  Not only that, but Jesus is there at the beginning of all good things that happen within our life as well.  And yes, He is there at the beginning of all new years.Take time today to thank God for the good that has been and the good that will come.  Happy New Year all!

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 36-40Yesterday we heard Simeon as Mary and Joseph approached the Temple for the Presentation of the Lord.  Today, the prophetess Anna takes center stage and she, like Simeon before her, didn't allow what was seen on the outside to inhibit her from seeing what was really before her...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 22-35Today we hear about the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, 40 days after His birth.  But our focus is actually less on Christ than it is on two other people: a man named Simeon and a woman named Mary.  One has been seeking the Christ his whole life.  And one is destined for a sword to pierce her heart.  Both are true then and now.  

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verses 13-18On this Feast of the Holy Innocents, we skip ahead of this weekend's feast, to hear about Herod's insecurity and his lust for power.  This focus on the self, unfortunately, can only bring destruction to those in his path, including little children.  

Gospel of John, Chapter 20, verses 1-8On this Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, we celebrate the role of love and of listening to the heartbeat of God.  Forget Red Bull - this is truly what gives us wings and helps us soften our sharp edges.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2, verses 1-14We have three separate Gospels from which we could have read today - but how could we read from any other than The Story?  Ready or not, here He comes...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 57-66Our focus changes from the story of Mary to the story of Zechariah, Elizabeth and John.  And once again, we see God naming someone that portends to the mission he will carry out.  Of course, what was true then is also true now...

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 46-56Today, Mary takes center stage in her great proclamation of God's goodness.  She also, in as clear a way as possible, reminds us of the dignity of those on the edges and how we need to identify ourselves as one of them.  For not to do so implies that we do not need a savior.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 39-45Mary, having had her life and her plans upended by a visit from an archangel does what any of us would do at that point, right?  Nope - she doesn't sit in her room and reconfigure.  She doesn't go talk to mom and dad and wonder what to do next.  She doesn't recalibrate.  She goes for three months to visit and assist her cousin Elizabeth.  Because that's what being filled with the Spirit invites us to, right?

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38As we draw nearer to The Coming, we enter in The Story.  All this week, we will be in Luke, Chapter 1 preparing us for Luke, Chapter 2 this Saturday.  First up?  The Announcement.  The plan is given and all of heaven holds its breath to see how this young girl will respond.  

The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 1, verses 1-17We make a turn in Advent today.  No longer are we focusing on the adult Jesus.  Now, we are preparing for a birth and thus, we have to focus on the Infancy Narratives of Matthew and Luke for the next 8 days.  Today, we hear of the importance of our ancestry.  Why?  It grounds us and helps remind us from whence we came and who we are.  True for us.  True for Christ.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 24-30I know - it's super late.  But it's worth the wait!  Dig it!John was doubting?  Let me tell you how good he is...even in the midst of that space.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 18b-23John the Baptist, having been imprisoned, sees the works of Jesus.  And he begins to doubt.  This can't be the One to whom we were looking.  He's not at all what I expected.  So what happens when that same thing happens to us?  What happens when we begin to doubt and see God operating in a way that is outside of our expectations?  We have a choice to make.  Either downplay what we are seeing and experiencing and, by doing so, put God back in our nice little box.  Or expand our notion of God.  That's not easy.

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21, verses 28-32Jesus continues his dialogue with the leaders of the Jewish Temple and presents them a parable - "A man had two sons..."  And the key to this parable?  Who really is the one that does the will of God.  Which one?  The one that was able to change his mind.  Are we set in our ways?  Do we have God figured out?  Are we in a groove or routine?  This parable is for you.St. John of the Cross - Pray for Us!

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 21, verses 23-27Jesus, once again, is confronted by the leaders of the Temple and asked for His credentials.  By what authority do you do this?  He doesn't answer the question, but rather turns the question on them at which they obfuscate and play games.  What can we learn through this short interchange?St. Lucy, pray for us!

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 16-19Jesus compares the actions - or should I say inactions? - of the Scribes and the Pharisees to that of children.  They use every excuse in the book not to engage in what they see going on around them.  But that sounds like lukewarm water.  And we know what God does with that in His mouth.  We have to plant a flag, my friends.  We have to make a decision.  

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 11, verses 11-15Jesus speaks of His great love and respect for John the Baptist - how there is no one born of woman who is greater than he.  Yet the least in the Kingdom is greater.  How do we make sense of this statement?  And what does it mean for us?

Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  Gospel of Luke, Chapter 1, verses 26-38Today we discuss the greatness of Mary and the lengths that God will go to in His incredible love for humanity and for each of us individually.  This feast is so good!

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18, verses 12-14On this Feast of St. Ambrose, we hear not only the Gospel reading but parts of the first reading from Isaiah chapter 40.  And while the Gospel speaks of the particular love of God for each one of us, Isaiah reminds us of God's collective love for us, too.  It's always both/and.  And we participate in that same reality.  

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 5, verses 17-26Jesus, surrounded by great crowds, sees the belief and the desperation of friends on behalf of a paralytic man.  And so moved by this act He frees the man.  But not in a way that was expected.  We may think that the healing power of Jesus does not reside in us because we have never lifted a paralytic person from their mat.  We would be wrong.

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 9, verses 27-31Today, on this Feast of St. Francis Xavier, we hear of an interaction between Jesus and two blind men.  Their long journey to an encounter with one another took perseverance.  But once they came face to face, it all hinged on one question: "Do you really believe that I can do this??" 

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 7, verses 21, 24-27Jesus instructs His disciples not to get caught up in mere words or trying to pick the lock of the Kingdom.  Instead, it takes commitment.  It takes obedience.  It takes our very hearts and lives.  

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 15, verses 29-37Today's Gospel is a bit of deja-vu.  We've heard it before, but it's so good to hear again because the news is truly Good News.  You are seen - right here, right now.  And you don't need to beg or plead.  Our God is a God of abundance who will destroy the web that is woven over all of us: death.  

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 4, verses 18-22On this Feast of St. Andrew, we ask the question: what work did Andrew have to do before he was able to say "Yes" to the invitation to Christ to be with Him.  Was it just a gut feeling?  Right place, right time?  Or did he have to prepare his heart in order to see the birth?

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 8, verses 5-11Welcome to Advent, my friends.  Today we hear about an interaction between Jesus and a Roman Centurion which is so moving that we repeat his words every time we go to Mass.  "Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my roof..."  What is so important about this interaction?

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 29-33As we close our liturgical year, Jesus reminds us that all will come to an end.  Sun and moon will stop shedding their light.  Stars will fall from the sky.  But do not be afraid.  Trees will bloom.  Everything will pass but there is Something that will be with us always...

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 12-19In 1975, Paul VI in Evangelii Nuntiandi stated: "Modern humanity listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if it does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses."  On this feast of Andrew Dung Lac and Companions, that is exactly what Jesus is talking about in today's Gospel.  

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 5-11Jesus continues to teach in the Temple area, and He hears people speaking of the beauty of the Temple.  And let's be honest - I'm sure it was.  But he takes this moment to challenge His listeners about what is lasting and what is not.  

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 21, verses 1-4As we wind down this liturgical year, Jesus sits in the Temple area and observes the giving and those making the offerings.  He points out a particular woman who gives not from a place that won't be missed, but instead she puts her entire livelihood in the basket.  Which of course begs the question of us - how much of ourselves do we give to God and what do we hold back?St. Cecilia, pray for us!

Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 45-48Jesus, having entered Jerusalem, goes into the Temple and clears out those who are making it a Den of Thieves and disrupting prayer.  So we talk about that today.  How free is God in our lives to be who God needs to be - not just who we want God to be, or a God made in our image.  And secondly, when and where is our space of prayer and how often do we make that happen?  The world needs us to.

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 41-44Jesus enters Jerusalem and weeps over the city.  His heart is rent by the decisions people are making and how they are turning their back on God.  That still is true today, is it not?  Have you ever wept over something similar?  And can this situation draw us closer to empathize with the heart of God?

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 11 - 28On this Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, we hear a longer parable from Jesus about a man who would be King going away for a long journey and putting his servants in charge of a certain sum of money.  And when he returns, he wants to know how they have used that sum.Of course it begs the question of all of us - what have we been given?  And have we received that gift?  

The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 1-10Today we hear the story of Zacchaeus, a man of small stature and great wealth.  More importantly, we hear how his life was changed when he met Christ.  Which, of course, begs the same question of us.  How are we different for having met Jesus?Another mini pod with two points for us to ponder throughout our day...