Rich Thoughts

Someone in the crowd in Mark 6 offered their loaves and fish to a vast crowd. John Neumann offered his gifts to the people of Philadelphia. In both cases, their gifts were multiplied by God. What gifts do we have? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Did the magi have an "epiphany moment" themselves after they arrived in Israel? An "everything but the kitchen sink" homily that's bound to provide food for thought! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Mary was declared the "theotokos" (mother of God) at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD, but it was a very violent episode in Church history. How can we celebrate the World Day of Peace today, too? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

A Christmas Eve Mass for those experiencing pain or loss this holiday season. God is with us, even with an unwed mother and her bewildered fiancé. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

When Hannah and Mary are favored by God, they each respond with a song of praise. Perhaps a closer study can give us some ideas of how we should relate to God.… (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Making sense of all the proper names in the first 17 verses of the Gospel of Matthew! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The kingdom of heaven has "already but not yet" arrived. It is most apparent in Advent, but it is a reality of every day of our lives! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Even in Zephaniah's harsh vision of the Last Day, there is plenty of room for hope and mercy! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

St. John of the Cross -- mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church who greatly influence Paulist founder Isaac Hecker. Can his insights inform our Advent practices? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Paul and Zephaniah command us to rejoice. But what if we don't feel joyous right now? Reflections on the Hebrew and Greek ideas of joy, and on Pope Francis' exhortation called THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Jews are STILL the chosen people of God, yet Christ is savior of all the world. The Vatican released a new document today, reiterating what the Church has taught for 50 years on Jewish-Christian relations! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception begins the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy! So much to explain and to celebrate! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Luke's Jesus speaks of being "drowsy from... anxieties." What does that mean? Save us from needless anxiety, O Lord! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Is gratitude a necessary aspect of prayer, or a cop-out when things are bad? Borrowing from medical research and FORREST GUMP! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

A reflection on the purpose of the Book of Daniel, on the feast of the Vietnamese martyrs. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

A serious reflection on Truth, as expressed in John 19… but our undergraduates still found some places to chuckle! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

No! Jesus' recognition of the widow giving her last two coins is not a lesson that "God helps those who help themselves" or to "Give until it hurts"! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

My favorite day of the liturgical year! A celebration that WE CAN DO THIS! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

A very personal example of how I fight against the temptation to believe that something *CAN* separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Baptism isn't a "get out of hell free" card. It is a pledge to live as Jesus lived, a baptism into his death and into his resurrection. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

A reflection/explanation on Paul's idea of "life in the Spirit" (grace) vs. "life in the flesh" (sin). How do we invite others to live "in the Spirit"? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Reflecting on the mixed assessments of Christopher Columbus' fidelity to his Catholic faith. What will OUR generation be condemned for? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The disciples were shocked to hear Jesus declare that wealth was an obstacle to holiness. What is holding you back on your path to holiness? An invitation to residents of Knox County. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The humor -- and insight -- of the book of Jonah. Also, a brief reflection on the Good Samaritan (Luke 11:25-37). (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Jesus speaks about divorce, but this homily focuses on marriage. What can all of us do to support marriages and families? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Some reflections on angels in general, and on guardian angels in particular. Prayers for the Synod on the Family beginning in Rome this weekend! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The humility of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a.k.a. "The Little Flower" makes an interesting pairing with Nehemiah 8. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Joshua and John want to exclude people who do good deeds. Jesus -- and Pope Francis -- calls us to do otherwise. What week to be a United States Catholic! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Celebrating the end of the Judean exile lines up well with the life of Padre Pio. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

An introduction to the post-exilic books of the Bible. There is always reason for hope! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Thoughts on comparing ourselves to other. How are we to be servants of all, when none of us have servants? It's pretty simple, when we live in a service-based economy! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

When we try to correct each other in the Church, are we building "Righteous, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness," or are we sowing "envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction"? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Who is "inside" the Church, and who is "outside" the Church? Luke 7:38-50 and St. Robert Bellarmine each challenge us to have a more expansive view! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Mary is our role model, even when it comes to witnessing the suffering of others. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Challenging stuff! In the words of Paulist founder, Servant of God, Isaac Thomas Hecker, CSP: "The one who has no cross is no follower of the crucified." (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Jesus calls us to do something hard today: to love our enemies! A reflection on what might help us to be agents of reconciliation…. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The life of Peter Claver fits well with today's readings, Colossians 3:1-11 and Luke 6:20-26. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Where do our individual life stories begin? This celebration -- and the other events the Church celebrates on/near September 8 -- points out that begins are hard to pinpoint! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Jesus commands the apostles to "Put out into deep water." Gregory the Great shows us how to do it! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The Letters to the Thessalonians may speak of the end of time, but I tend to think of midterms and papers. A reflection about anxiety! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for adding to tradition and for not holding right belief. How can we evaluate when we are falling into similar errors? The ecumenical document Unitatis Redintegratio has some ideas. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

St. Monica is not only the patron saint for parents who worry about their children straying from the faith. She is also the model of how to stay in relationship with non-believers! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

As Paul talks of his sacrifices for the Thessalonians, he's reminding them of his relationship with them. That is the way we are to proclaim the gospel: by building relationships with people first! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Jesus rails against the Pharisees and scribes who have ignored their obligations to judgment, mercy, and fidelity. St. Louis exemplifies right judgment -- by combining it with mercy and fidelity. (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The call of Gideon (Judges 6:11-24) and Jesus' encounter with the rich young man (Matthew 19:23-30) remind us that God has made ALL of us capable of great things! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

We welcome many new students (and their parents) by applying the shocking American Gothic stories of Flannery O'Connor to the Eucharist! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

The story of Pontian and Hippolytus is a great fit with today's gospel, Matthew 18:21 - 19:1! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Parishioners report that this homily makes a good case for why we should go to Mass every week. Good gracious! (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

Surely the Ephesian Christian community welcomed the people joining them, but I bet they wished they were less "Greek" and more "Jewish." Does this give us insights on how to treat newcomers joining us? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)

At first glance, Moses and Kateri Tekakwitha both seem to be very unlikely people to lead others to God. Do each of us have the potential to be unlikely in the same way? (St. John XXIII Parish, Knoxville, TN)