As so many others, I prayed fervently for the safety of Pope Francis during his recent visit to Iraq, as well as for the health and safety of all who participated. Now that he is safely back in Rome, I pray in gratitude for his incredible witness of faith. I Read more…
The Word of God for this weekend continues to ‘cleanse’ us for true worship – worship in Spirit and Truth. (John 4:23) Jesus cleanses the temple of money changers and the animals used for making sacrifice, is a good ‘symbol’ for what is taking place each Lent, as Jesus is Read more…
We continue to turn to God’s Word for instruction in this time of Lent. Joseph in the Old Testament reading from the Book of Genesis is the ‘beloved son’ of Israel, and hated by his other brothers. Joseph ‘pre-figures’ Christ as the Savior: ‘beloved son’, thrown into a cistern, sold Read more…
The Prophet Isaiah in today’s readings again renews the call of Lent: “Let us set things right.” The readings today give us three perspectives for self-examination. The towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were notorious for the sinful practices so prevalent in their day. Thus, the first point for our consideration Read more…
March is a traditional time of devotion to St. Joseph. This March holds particular grace, as Pope Francis has declared a Year of St. Joseph. I strongly encourage everyone to read the pope’s beautiful apostolic letter Patris Corde (With a Father’s Heart). The purpose of this letter, the pope explains, Read more…
Today’s readings for the Second Sunday of Lent can be found here. The many individuals of our readings today communicate we are clearly created for relationship with God. From Abraham to Moses and Elijah, to Peter, James and John, we see how God calls all of us to live our Read more…
As a part of his sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches: “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Heavenly Father”. (See Matthew 5:43-48) This is indeed a Word of Truth and Wisdom for a world fractured with so much division. Read more…
Today’s readings for Mass continue the call of Lent to ‘return to the Lord.’ The call today is for us to recognize our sin in the face of the righteousness of God. The Prophet Ezekiel speaks of ‘wicked men’ and the need to turn away from sin. Do we Read more…
Our staff at Catholic Community Services (CCS) enjoys a great reputation throughout Western Washington for their compassionate care for the poor. Our staff and volunteers make the compassion of Jesus present in concrete and credible ways, on a daily basis. Very often, when a housing agency or government agency in Read more…
Yesterday at the main offices of our Catholic Community Services / Catholic Housing Services an individual entered and threatened the life of one of our workers, and ended up taking his own life. Please pray for all who were traumatized as a result of this tragic event, as well as Read more…