Brian Mullins is a permanent deacon in the Rockford Diocese who has been assigned by his Bishop to Saint Catherine of Genoa Parish in Genoa, Illinois.
Jesus says in the Gospel today that He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. To understand that statement, we have to look at what the purpose of a law is. Laws are created to instill and facilitate order and keep peace within a society. Religious law, though,Continue Reading
There is so much here this morning. These readings are rich with insight into the human condition. I want to focus, though, on something I think apropos to the current situation we find ourselves in as a nation. Maybe even as a species. Here in Tobit, we find this youngContinue Reading
A lot of the time, when we encounter this particular Gospel, we focus on what Jesus did. He healed a blind man. Giving sight to the blind is indeed a miracle worth talking about. I want to focus a little bit on what the blind man, Bartimaeus, didContinue Reading
In the Gospel this morning, Jesus reminds us that following Him is not always a rose garden. It involves taking up the cross. He says to James and John, “Can you drink the chalice that I drink?” In their enthusiasm, they declare that they can, and history shows thatContinue Reading
It hurts to be betrayed and have our trust eroded, our nerves exposed. Embarrassed. Anxious. Tired. But when it’s a friend. That’s when it hurts the most. Someone you’ve shared your life with, your hopes, your dreams. Spent time within a conversation, listened to, joked, and laughed with. When JesusContinue Reading
We see today the Apostles before the Sanhedrin. They don’t mince words. What they have to say is neither politically expedient nor does it endear them to them on a spiritual level. Rather, it infuriates their enemies and makes them want to put them to death. It’s a farContinue Reading
In today’s first reading, we see how central the Gospel is to the apostles’ life. Immediately upon being released from prison, they go right back to work. They don’t run home and get a shower. There is no time to grab a bite to eat. They went to theContinue Reading