A Thorn in the Flesh

Friends, on this Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we continue our reading of the Gospel of Matthew. In chapter 13, Jesus gives a series of seven very memorable parables, the first four having to do with the growth of the kingdom of God. The first of these, which we’re reading f ...  Show more

Friends, peace be with you—an echo of the words of the risen Jesus in our Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter, also called Mercy Sunday. Christ gives his disciples the gift of shalom (peace). But there’s an exceptionally important juxtaposition here: He also shows them his wou ...  Show more

Paul's "thorn in the flesh" has sparked countless theories about physical ailments and personal struggles, but the answer may be simpler than we think. Seth and David explore Paul's third heaven experience and show how his thorn in the flesh connects to the pattern of Old Testame ...  Show more

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. God can be glorified through our wounds, not merely in spite of them. We all experience brokenness. We all experience God's love through a broken lens. And yet we do encounter them in this way. Mass Readings from July 7, 2024: E ...  Show more

Hey sister, What is happening in this season of your life? For many of us – if not most of us in this messy middle, it’s a time that comes with transitions, changes, losses, limitations, lots of reflection – and questions without easy answers. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul rev ...  Show more

Fr. Mike recaps Paul's trial before the chief priests and the plot to kill him in Acts 23. As we conclude 2 Corinthians today, Fr. Mike reflects on the thorn in Paul's side, a weakness that he struggled with and begged God to take away. Fr. Mike invites us to reflect on our own t ...  Show more