As the worshipers arrived on a late November morning at the Lutheran Church in White Lake North Dakota, they were met by a rather disturbing sight. An apparently homeless beggar sat on the front steps of the church, wearing tattered clothing, a wool cap pulled down over his eyes, and…

Although it’s a parable from ancient times, today’s Gospel message makes some timeless observations about how some people manage their households. We could say that the overall theme is a message for us to “make the most of what we’ve been given,” but, in this story, the sad outcome was…

A few weeks ago I was at a parish where the homilist began his talk explaining that there were two types of parables. (News to me!) There was the teaching parable. Many of these began: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like….” then Jesus would offer a story common to the…

Hopefully you have had the opportunity to meet, or at least read about individuals, who are always there for other people…helping in any way they can without asking anything in return. These are the true leaders, the servant leaders in social, economic and church groups. • The young boy who…

One of the current problems air traffic controllers face is the multitude of languages of today’s international pilots. Under ordinary circumstances, a pilot is (hopefully) fluent enough in the language used at the tower to communicate effectively. In a crisis, however, pilots unconsciously go back to their mother tongue, which…

These were the sobering and challenging words of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter who had a vivid dream in 1938 of a shining train circling a mountain. He saw men, women, and children rushing to get a place on it and suddenly he heard a voice that warned: “This train is going…

I know how to live in humble circumstances;I know also how to live with abundance. Today’s readings all speak of living with fear and concern – and how the saving power of God supports and sustains us through difficult times. It’s impossible to know how we will react when serious…

In 740 BC (that’s almost 3000 years ago!) Isaiah wrote about Yahweh’s vineyard–His Chosen People. He cared tenderly for His vineyard, tending the soil, protecting, fertilizing it with His goodness. While He expected to reap a loving, caring, faithful nation, He was rewarded with “wild grapes.” The goodness that He…

Today’s reading speaks to us on many levels. As a parent, I can easily identify with the frustration the father must feel when he asks his sons to help. I can rejoice with him when the first son, who initially refused to help, changes his mind and does what was…

It’s getting dark and nervously she paces in her modest home. Worried, she sweeps the dirt floor from one side to the next. It is late and she begins to pray, “O God, where is my Joseph? Where is he, Lord? It is getting late and I know he didn’t…