First Sunday of Lent

Mark 1: 12-15

"This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." I say these words to you today, just as my brother spoke them so long ago. Now is the time for God's Reign to begin. The Kingdom is not some future utopia; it is faith, hope, and love. Embrace these with all your heart, live them as best you can every moment, and you will find yourself there before you know it. Our Father's good news is that her Realm lies within each of us, if we only choose to believe. So let me say it again with my own words: Now is God's time, for something wonderful is upon us, so be at peace, and believe in the truth of love.

Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18

Style over substance may be a popular approach to modern life, but it does not work with God. Our Parent sees what is real whether we like it or not. Let this Lent be the birth of a new lifestyle: Truth.

Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mark 2: 1-12

And still more miracles today. Why? Because some in the crowd could not believe Truth with their own ears. So Jesus gave them a little magic show to prove his authority. Perhaps we were still too childish to listen then, but there is no excuse for such attitudes now. Grow up and stop looking for signs. No amount of proof can take you to the Kingdom; only faith and love will do.

Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mark 1: 40-45

Again with the miracles. If they were not done, would it have been "impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly"? If he had simply preached Truth would the response still have been that "people kept coming to him from everywhere"? We all know the sad answer. What will it take for us to choose substance over style? When will we crave the Real, rather than the bright and shiny?

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mark 1: 29-39

Let us be honest with ourselves today. What do we believe in: the Word or the miracles? If Jesus preached, but did not heal, would we have listened? Is not Truth good enough by itself? What proof do you demand from our Parent today? What proof would you demand if the Child of Life was standing in front of you? Can any magic make Love more real than it already is?

Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Deuteronomy 18: 15-20; 1 Corinthians 7: 32-35; Mark 1: 21-28

For too long our family has been plagued by notions that the spiritual is better than the material, that we must flee the world and the flesh to truly love and serve God. I say to you that such ideas are nonsense. Who do you think created the material? Who do you think created our flesh? We are meant to be together. Celibacy may be of practical necessity in some cases, but it is certainly not a higher calling. Yes, the world and flesh are full of distractions, but it is precisely there that the One is to be found. The Kingdom does not lie in the extraordinary, but in the average and the mundane. There is truly the delight of the Spirit. Time is not passing away, but even if it were, Father would want us to revel in her creation until the very last second. That is "adherence to the Lord." Do not expect miracles to prove that what I say is true. Listen to the authority of the Spirit that dwells within you; she will not lead you astray.

Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul, Apostle

Acts 9:1-22; 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31; Mark 16: 15-18

Our brother Paul was a great man. Without him, would our family even exist? But he was still a man, full of passion and imperfection just like us all. Honor him, listen to him, emulate him, but do not be afraid to criticize and disagree with him. He would expect and desire no less of true believers in the Way. He would be the first to say that the Spirit is present in each of us, not just those officially labeled as apostles and saints. And so I say to you that while "the world in its present form" may pass away, time will not run out. The journey of humanity may some day come to an end, but the journey of life never will. Life is the center of the universe, not us, and it is past time that we recognize our place within it.

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Samuel 3: 3b-10, 19

I am Samuel. I hear the call and respond, but I have yet to respond to the true caller. I think I am familiar with my Father, but she hasn't really revealed anything to me yet. Glimpses and hints perhaps, but my own will is still blocking the view. So let me be still and peaceful, and wait for my Lord to whisper my name when I am asleep. Speak father, for your servant is listening.

Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7; Mark 1: 7-11

This is not the coronation ceremony of Jesus the prince, as some Christians would have you believe. Rather, it is a father, our Father, giving praise to a child for a deed well-done. By accepting baptism, Jesus was acknowledging and embracing the identity and future for which our Father had called him out of creation. This is a call she makes to each one of us. Jesus is not our mighty ruler, but a brother, servant, and mentor, who once and forever is here to lead us, his people, his family, into God's reign of love. Stop denying the truth and accept the baptism of the Spirit in whatever way she appears to you. Then listen closely and you too will hear, "You are my beloved Child; with you I am well pleased."

Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord

Matthew 2: 1-12

Love incarnate is not always welcomed by the world. It is too messy for the powerful; it threatens their control. But like the magi, we cannot deny its existence. We must approach it with our gifts and praise God for its presence. The world will fight back in fear, and may even seem to win at times. But know always that love will not be denied its victory.