Rich Thoughts

Quoting "The Word of the Lord" from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Schwartz's MASS. You cannot imprison the Word of the Lord! We wait, we wait for the Word of the Lord. (Knox County Detention Center and Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Both Isaiah 25:6-10a and Matthew 15:29-37 speak of how God will provide for us. Luke 1:53-55 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlKNQBOeQqQ) declares that God has already fulfilled his promises! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Matthew, the most Jewish of the gospels, speaks to the universality of the gospel message. How are we called to witness to this universality? (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Advent calls us to wait in joyful hope. That can be hard if we don't put much stock in waiting, hoping, or having joy. Pope Francis gives us some ideas in his new exhortation, called THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL. (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Madison Avenue calls Thanksgiving "the most important meal of the year." We take a look at Luke's account of the most important meal in the history of the world (Luke 22:14-20). (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The story of the writing on the wall (Daniel 5:1-28) doesn't mean all is doom. The best is yet to come! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Two tough readings -- 2 Maccabees 7:20-31 and Luke 19:11-28 -- invite us to reflect on what truly matters to us… and to God. (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

1 Maccabees 1 is similar to what many of people of faith experience today. In the words of the blind man in Luke 18:35-43, "Lord, help us to see" the plight of our less fortunate brothers and sisters! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Luke 21:5-19 is not about WHEN the end of the world is coming; it's about HOW to be prepared! (Holy Ghost Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Since we're exploring the Book of Wisdom this week, we start with a quick definition of "wisdom" from the Catechism. Mother Cabrini's spiritual gifts included energy, determination, AND wisdom! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The first recognized saint of the Western Church not martyred, Martin of Tours inspired many people. Traditions around his veneration give us two common church terms. Also, introducing the Book of Wisdom. (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Reflections on our beliefs about eternal life, as glimpsed through 2 Maccabees 7:1-14 and Luke 20:27-38. What will heaven be like? We don't know much, but we know that it will be wonderful! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN).

Brief mention of the gospel (Luke 14:25-33) before exploring Romans 13:8-10. Simple words that take a lifetime to live! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Brief reference to Luke 14:15-24 (and Romans 11:29-36 from yesterday) before digging in to the promise -- and the challenge -- of Romans 12:5-16. (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Explaining Romans 11:29-36 before reflecting on the life of Charles Borromeo. May his humility be a lesson for all of us! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Before listening, have a copy of Luke 19:1-10 on hand. Also, be prepared to pray with this video right after listening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9HaLA35_Gs. What are you waiting for? (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

My favorite feast day, my favorite hymn, and some of my favorite readings! Together, they help explain what we mean by "the communion of saints." (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Exploring five of the important and dense verses of Romans 8: verses 26-30. A mention about Paul's use of the word "predestined," and then an explanation of my ideas about the Holy Spirit. (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

What can we say about two apostles of whom we know very little? A lot! All are welcome, and nothing is impossible! (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The last homily in a 3-part series on prayer. How do we minister to people in pain? The same thing we need to do when we're in pain! This homily doesn't exactly end, but it transitions into an announcement. (Blessed John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)