Reflections
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, September 28, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 9/27/25
The Great Depression that hit the US between 1929 and 1939 brought about massive economic hardship. But while the poor formed long queues to get their ration of soup in New York, the affluent in Long Island managed to put up a surprise party. The menu: all you could ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, September 21, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 9/19/25
One late evening, a gunman accosted a finely-dressed man who just parked in front of an expensive jewelry store in Washington DC. Pointing the gun at him, he demanded, “Hand me all YOUR money.” The man was indignant and busted out: “Do you know the person you’re threatening? I’m ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Year C, September 14, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 9/12/25
You won’t need look far before seeing someone wearing a cross, either as pendant on their necklaces or as pinstripe on the lapel or even as ring in their finger (as I’m wearing one). The cross has gained such power that countries like Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Norway, New Zealand, ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, September 7, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 9/05/25
Still reeling from the tragedy of the brutal murder of two innocent kids and injuries to other school children and parents during a school Mass in the Annunciation Church/School, Minneapolis tragedy, many are still puzzled as to why a child raised in the Catholic faith would suddenly turn into ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, August 31, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 8/30/25
Two egomaniacs were invited to a banquet—the Russian dictator, Josef Stalin, and his German counterpart, Adolf Hitler. Both were given seats of honor side by side each other. Noticing that their chairs could be adjusted higher or lower, each of them put considerable effort to adjust theirs to be ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, August 24, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 8/23/25
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to identify the direction Jesus is going in today’s gospel. In a very blunt language, He tells us that no one has a lock on heaven. Heaven isn’t a summer home you visit when the temperature in Oklahoma turns 112. Rather, ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, August 17, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 8/15/25
We cannot fail to wonder why the Lord Jesus whom we know as the Prince of Peace would make deeply disturbing and very perplexing statements as the ones in today’s gospel: “I have come to bring fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already blazing! Do ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, August 10, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 8/08/25
I request that you give a special thought to this question: If you had to describe your faith to someone, what exactly would you say? I’m not asking about your religion. I mean your faith. What do you believe? What is your strongest conviction? Would you spend some time ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, August 3, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 8/01/25
A sign outside one Church reads: “Do not wait for the hearse to take you to Church.” They’re words for one who has no room for God. Wealth and possessions are typically blessings from God. If you’re wealthy, count it a blessing from God. Yet, possessions can assume such ... Read More »
Fr. Jo's Reflection for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, July 27, 2025
Posted by John Wolf on 7/25/25
You wouldn’t think that the dialogue between Abraham and God in the first reading was prayer. Yet, we can sense how Abraham’s bromance with God was certainly a lofty dialogue, where tenderness, veneration, and boldness fuse admirably together (Motte). Though Jesus taught His disciples the “Our Father” as a ... Read More »