Christ’s Healing Touch
Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time Thursday, January 20, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 Samuel 18:6-9; 19:1-7; Psalm 56:2-3, 9-10a, 10b-11, 12-13; Mark 3:7-12 Audio recording The Gospel today gives us a glimpse into the life of Christ, into his fame, which was spreading everywhere. The people of all these small towns had to come to know of Christ little by little, and had only a...
To Jesus Through Mary
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday, January 16, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 Audio Recording The Wedding at Cana In today’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah tells us how much God the Father delights in us, members of his Church, members of the body of his only begotten Son. He compares us to a precious...
We Are Called to Love
Wednesday after Epiphany Wednesday, January 5, 2022 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 John 4:11-18; Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13; Mark 6:45-52 Audio recording Today’s first reading speaks to us of the most important characteristic of a Christian person, the characteristic of love. There is so much to unpack here, much more than we have time for now. I’d like to encourage you to spend some time...
Love of the World
Thursday, The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas Thursday, December 29, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass 1 John 2:12-17; Psalm 96:7-8a, 8b-9, 10; Luke 2:36-40 In today’s first reading, John encourages us to be strong in our faith. He reminds us that our sins have been forgiven and to remember that the word of God is within us and, as a result, we have truly conquered the evil one. After...
Ready for Christmas?
Fourth Sunday of Advent Sunday, December 19, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Masses Micah 5:1-4a; Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 Here we are at the Fourth Sunday of Advent with Christmas less than a week away. How well have we used this Advent season to prepare for Christmas? Has this time been business as usual for us, or have we slowed down to reflect on...
Jesus: Born to Die to Rescue Us From Death
Thursday of the Third Week of Advent Thursday, December 16, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Isaiah 54:1-10; Psalm 30:2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b; Luke 7:24-30 Audio Recording Today’s first reading contains Isaiah’s prophesy, some 700 years before the coming of the Messiah, that God would not forget his bride, the people of Israel, who endured testing and exile because of their...
Doing the Father’s Will
Thursday of the First Week of Advent Thursday, December 2, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Isaiah 26:1-6; Psalm 118:1 and 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a; Matthew 7:21, 24-27 Audio Recording Without getting into the theological weeds about what is necessary for one to enter heaven, there are essentially four things necessary for us to be CERTAIN of our salvation. This is contrary to the teaching of...
Advent: Time for a Wake-Up Call
First Sunday of Advent Sunday, November 28 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14; 1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 Audio Recording Happy New Year! Advent begins today, the time when the Church celebrates the beginning of our new liturgical year. Advent is a season of hope, anticipation, and preparation for the coming of Our Lord. It...
Giving Thanks
Thanksgiving Day Thursday, November 25, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Sirach 50:22-24; Psalm 145:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19 Audio Recording The poor lepers in today’s gospel were forced to live in isolation from their fellow men. They also suffered the misery of the skin disease itself. In addition to their emotional and physical suffering, nine of...
Redemptive Suffering and Service
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, October 17, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Masses Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45 Today’s gospel reading sheds light on the great value of suffering and service. Jesus asks James and John, who want the positions of honor in his coming kingdom, if they are willing to drink the cup he drinks and be...
Persistent Prayer and The Rosary
Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary Thursday, October 7, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 Mass Malachi 3:13-20b; Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6; Luke 11:5-13 Whenever the Jewish rabbis repeated one concept three times with three different words, it was a sign of EXTREME EMPHASIS. This is what Jesus does in today’s gospel. He uses TWO parables – the sleeping friend and the fish/egg vs. snake/scorpion – to...
Whose Wisdom Do You Choose?
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, September 19, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Wisdom 2:12, 17-20; Psalm 54:3-4, 5,6 and 8; James 3:16-4:3; Mark 9:30-37 Audio Recording In today’s second reading, James presents two types of wisdom. The wisdom from above and the wisdom from below. Then he describes the results of each type. First James speaks about the wisdom from below, which...
To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?
For some time now I've been considering whether or not I should share my thoughts on getting vaccinated against the dreaded COVID-19 virus. I understand that there are strong opinions on both sides of the issue and I fully recognize that it is one's personal choice as to whether or not you get the vaccine. We all have our reasons for why we do what we do and I totally respect the fact that many...
What or Whom Do We Worship?
September is football season in East Tennessee. Our beloved Vols take the field to the delight of their devoted fans. The enthusiasm of the fans is especially pronounced as hope springs eternal for a winning season. Yesterday Christine and I experienced the opening game, our first Vols game ever, complete with a pre-game tailgate party at Circle Park right next to Neyland Stadium. Our tickets...
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Assumption Sunday, August 15, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00, 10:00 & 5:00 Masses Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Psalm 45:10, 11, 12, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56 Audio Recording Today we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Assumption is when Mary was taken to heaven at the conclusion of her earthly life. In 1950 Pope Pius XII...
Too Busy to Pray?
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, July 18, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 23:1-3,3-4,5,6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34 Audio Recording In today’s Gospel we’re taken back to the time when Jesus' apostles had completed their first successful missionary journey. After accompanying Jesus for a long time they were sent out on their own to be his...
Transformed in Christ
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Sunday, June 20, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 8:00 & 10:00 Mass Job 38:1, 8-11; Psalm 107:23-24, 25-26, 28-29, 30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Mark 4:35-41 Audio Recording Today’s readings speak to us, among other things, of CONVERSION, of the TRANSFORMATION of our lives into true disciples of Christ. Listen again to this verse from today’s 2nd reading: “So whoever...
Prayer as a Couple
Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions Thursday June 3, 2021 Tobit 6:10-11; 7:1bcde, 9-17; 8:4-9a; Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5; Mark 12:28-34 Audio Recording Today’s first reading speaks to us, among other things, about the power of prayer, especially in marriage. It also speaks of the importance of inviting God into all the areas of our lives, even those which are most private. Tobias...
One Church, One Faith, One Baptism
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Sunday, May 16, 2021 Holy Ghost Church – 5:00 Mass Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Ephesians 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20 Audio Recording Today, we are celebrating the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord. This Feast commemorates the elevation of Christ into Heaven by His own power in the presence of His disciples on the fortieth day after His glorious...
Obedience to Your Bishop
Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter April 29, 2021 Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89:2-3, 21-22, 25 and 27; John 13:16-20 Audio Recording We all know that Christ established his Church through the preaching and teaching of his Apostles. Since the Apostles were sent by Christ, they received the same respect from the early Christians as would have been given Jesus if he had come to them. The Apostles were...
Acting on God’s Inspiration
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter April 22, 2021 Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20; John 6:44-51 Audio Recording We have all had the experience of feeling an internal prompting to do something. Maybe it’s something that will take years to complete such as studying for a profession or discerning and preparing for a vocation. Or maybe it’s something that comes as a flash of...