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     The list below is what has been recorded in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). It is amazing to read about any one of these miracles that Jesus performed while He was alive. Some or all these Scripture passages are a wonderful idea for a small group study! I included the Scripture passage from John’s Gospel below to indicate that there were probably many more miracles that Jesus performed during His three-year ministry, those of which were not recorded. (John 21:24–25)      “It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.”                                                                Jesus Changes Water into Wine (John 2:1-11) Jesus Cures a Royal Official’s Son (John 4:46-54) Jesus Commands Nets to be Filled with Fish (Luke 5:1-11)...

     The Gospel reading in any Catholic church on the planet this weekend is taken from Matthew 4:1-11. When you take the opportunity to read this Scripture passage, it is important to understand that Jesus is “fully God” and “fully human.” He is God. He was also human like you and me. Because He was human, Jesus experienced many different emotions throughout His lifetime. Also, he was tempted by the devil and others all throughout His life just like we are every day.      Soon after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, it is written in Matthew’s Gospel that Jesus was led into the desert where he fasted for forty days and forty nights, and He was tempted by the devil. The following temptations took place: 1.     devil: “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”         Jesus: “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’” 2.     devil: “If you are the Son of God,...

     On Wednesday, February 22, Catholics and many Christian denominations throughout the world will celebrate the beginning of Lent. This day is called Ash Wednesday. The following is stated at Catholic.org: “Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday, and is chiefly observed by Catholics, although many other Christians observe it too. Ash Wednesday comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: ‘Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, ‘Repent and believe in the Gospel.’”      I have always understood Lent to be a period of time that is devoted to Jesus...

     There are many people in my life who are very special to me - my wife, our children, my parents, my parents-in-law, relatives, high school friends, church friends, and my teaching colleagues. There are many other people who have been very special to me throughout my lifetime. They include teachers, priests, nuns, sponsored children, friends in other countries, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, and godparents.      Each one of us, no matter who we are, is special in God’s eyes. We are all children of God. Everyone in history was created in the likeness and image of God. The following is written in Genesis:      “God made every kind of wild animal, every kind of tame animal, and every kind of thing that crawls on the ground. God saw that it was good. Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the tame animals, all the wild animals, and all the creatures that crawl on the...

     I am Catholic. I attend a Catholic Mass every weekend of each calendar year. The Gospel reading that was read today at each Mass in every Catholic Church throughout the world was Matthew 5:13-16. There are two important phrases that Jesus communicated to his disciples in this Scripture passage. First, “You are the salt of the earth.” What does this mean? Well, in Jesus’s time, salt was a preservative. It helped to keep certain foods fresh. It also added flavor to some foods they ate. Jesus is telling His disciples that they need to go out to others and tell them about His teachings. By doing so they are planting seeds of Jesus’s messages with the hope that those who hear them can learn and share these teachings with others. In a sense, those who do this are preserving Jesus’s teachings for generation after generation. Jesus instructs his disciples to influence the world in a positive way by spreading His Good News. If the disciples did not teach others about Jesus, Jesus’s...

I have been listening to contemporary Christian music for just over twenty years. I listen to this genre of music for the following reasons: Deepen my relationship with Jesus Christ. Learn more about what Jesus Christ did for me and how important He is in my life. Deepen my understanding of Christianity. Worship God and give glory to Him. Learn more about what is in Scripture and what God is saying to me. An opportunity to focus on my faith. Take the time to do something which mentally takes me away from everything. I have many favorite Christian songs. One of my current favorites and one that I have listened to many times over the past several months is called “Perfectly Loved” sung by Rachael Lampa. Rachael has said, “‘Perfectly Loved’ is about how God’s love is so perfect that we don’t have to fight for it, we don’t have to earn it. It is so perfectly and freely given to us no matter how far we run or hide.” I agree with Rachel one hundred percent. No matter what mistakes you have...

    If you are a member or parishioner of a Christian church right now, would you be able to recite your church’s mission statement word for word? Does your church even have a mission statement? If your church has a mission statement, does your church follow its own mission statement?      I am not a parishioner of the Church of the Nativity (Timonium, MD), but I have learned so much from various people at this church over the past couple of years. Even though their church is a two-hour drive from my home, I have learned much about Catholicism and Christianity through attending their Masses online, participating in a men’s small group community every Monday night, reading their church’s Lenten and Advent devotionals, watching their small group podcasts, attending workshops and webinars online, and listening to Father Michael’s sermons as part of each weekend’s message series. All of these have helped me remain grounded in my faith and they have helped me with living out my faith on a...

I am a member of the Social Concerns Committee (SCC) at my church. Our main goal is to reach out and help others who are members of our church, those in and around the area where our church is located, and even others in many parts of the world. It is one of the most amazing ministries on the planet! The SCC has two people who lead this ministry. I want to briefly tell you the story of one of these wonderful women and what has transpired in her life over the past several months. Approximately two and half months ago, Kathy was given the news that she has cancer. Any person who is given this news reacts to the situation he or she is faced with in a number of different ways. Some of the emotions and feelings that may arise include anger, sadness, resentment, fear, loneliness, guilt, fear, shock, anxiety, or disbelief. If you have been diagnosed with cancer, then you may have felt or experienced one or more of these. I do not know exactly what Kathy is going through. I have never...

     Each and every one of us sins every day. There are times when we may sin and do it intentionally. We think about what we want to do, we know what we are doing, and we do it. Some of these actions in life may be thought out thoroughly and well in advance, and then we follow through with these actions. There are times when we do not think about what we are doing, we consciously do not contemplate our intentions and actions, and we do them. We may do something in the spur of the moment without thinking at all about what we are doing. We just react. Whether an act is intentional or unintentional, the act itself can be a sin.      What is sin? The Hebrew word for sin is "hata." The Greek word for sin is "hamartia." The meaning of each of these in each of these languages is "to miss the mark." Anytime each one of us sins, we "miss the mark." What does this mean? When we sin, we distance ourselves from Jesus. We do things that are in contrast to Jesus' teachings. The more we live...

There are many times in life when we start something for the first time. It is the beginning of something new. It may be a career, the birth of a child, living on one's own, retirement, moving to a different city or town, going to college, or becoming a new member of a church. Today is something new. It is the first day of the new year. January 1 is a new beginning for many people. It is the day when many of us take the time to contemplate how we can live our lives differently each and every day in order to benefit ourselves and others. The list below is what I focused on in 2022. I am going to use this same list in 2023. In order for these to work for my benefit and others, I have to make a conscious effort to read each one and focus on them every day of the year. You can use any of the items from my list to include in a list that you can create for yourself. It does help me when I revisit this list every so often to remember to focus on each of these goals as often as I can. It is...