Scripture Scribbles: July 26, 2026
'As I sat down to spend time with this Sunday’s readings, I hardly recognized myself. I couldn’t wait to read them.
Not just the Gospel, but all of them - the Old Testament, The Psalm, the Epistle, the Alleluia, and finally the Gospel. I want to drink it all in, to savor every word. That’s where I stop and think, who am I? Because a few years ago, I never would have imagined feeling this way. To my delight, this weeks readings are all familiar friends - some of my favorite passages in Scripture. It almost feels as though God knows exactly what would bring me joy. (Of course, He does.) So, how do I even begin to share what I find so beautiful?
Scripture Scribbles: July 19, 2026
'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field?
Oh how gently the Lord receives these questions - both in our central parable today and in the hearts of those struggling with these questions now. He gives us Truth we can hold onto: he sows good seed. You and I are good seed. The presence of evil does not mean the sower is careless or inept. It means there is an enemy.
He answered, 'An enemy has done this.'
Scripture Scribbles: July 12, 2026
The truth is, roots take time.
They take time to grow, develop, expand. And there is just no rushing this process. There is simply no short cut you can take. In fact, if you try to hack a short cut, the roots will not grow as strong, resulting in fewer and less desirable flowers in the end. I’ve noticed throughout this process that this unavoidable truth drives me a little bit… crazy. I’ve been out checking on the flowers each week, monitoring their growth, trying to weed what I can, water when needed, but, ultimately, find myself with nothing to do but have to sit back and wait.
Scripture Scribbles: July 5, 2026
Of course we know what rest means. The word gives us comfort and makes us say it’s a long-waited, much-needed, well-deserved, hard-earned, or very anticipated respite. It is the break we take after working laboriously, diligently, patiently, continuously, tediously, and passionately. I could go on, but I feel like the meaning of rest has already been conveyed loudly and clearly.
What exactly do we do on our rest days? Do we really do nothing? I doubt this very much because I’m equally guilty of exploiting and abusing the word sometimes.
Instead of giving a thousand reasons as to why it is hard for us to do nothing on our rest days, we acknowledge that our reasons are valid. However, may also make it a point to really recharge. This one is easy and we have our ways to accomplish this. While we are at it, may we also enjoy. The fruits of our labor, we need to observe properly. Do we give ourselves a mental tap for jobs well done and for our wins, big or small? I hope so.
Scripture Scribbles: June 28, 2026
This past April, I attended a family gathering. I had not seen my brother in over thirty years, and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with him.
“Are you happy, Karen?” he asked in a hopeful tone.
My brother was in an incredibly jovial mood, having recently purchased an oceanfront retirement home for his family on the east coast of Florida. I was genuinely happy for him and did not want to dampen his exuberance in any way. Had he asked me the question a few weeks before, my answer might have been a resounding yes.
Scripture Scribbles: June 21, 2026
If there isn’t a message jumping out at you from this Gospel, let me share the ones that are jumping out to me…I’ll give you a hint, one is echoed 3 different times:
“Fear no one”
“Do not be afraid”
“Do not be afraid”
Three different times, He repeats this message of not being afraid!!!
Do you think our Lord was trying to encourage his disciples here? Do you feel encouraged?
Scripture Scribbles: June 14, 2026
Isn’t it wild to ponder that the Lord invites us to do his work of love, mercy and healing with him?
The work, the harvest, we read about in today’s Gospel isn’t in the past.
We are called to minister to the troubled and abandoned today. For most of us, this will happen in the hidden love we live in daily life in our families and communities, in the way we are at peace despite challenging circumstances, in the way we are joyful as we work, in the way we are present to those God puts in our paths.
Scripture Scribbles: June 7, 2026
I stare at the little white hosts.
So small. So simple. So humble.
I watch as each one is gently placed into its destination.
Elderly, moms, dads, teenagers, pre-teens; young and old, unique backgrounds, individual styles, each with their own unique story, their own mix of struggles, hurts, challenges, joys, passions, interests, ideas, futures.
I watch as some seem incredibly humbled to approach, while others seem as if their mind is somewhere else. I watch as some handle it with tender, loving care and devotion, others seem to place it into their mouth without a second thought, or like an old habit.
At times I cringe, shifting in my seat, unable to stand how incredibly vulnerable it all is.
Scripture Scribbles: May 31, 2026 - The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
God loves the world so much. It is the whole world. It is everyone. His message is inclusive, not exclusive. God loves not just the kind, the obedient, the pious, the humble, the faithful, and all the others possessing positive traits. God loves also the bad, the disobedient, the non-believers, the proud, the doubtful, and all the others possessing negative traits. What an all-encompassing and unconditional love. However, to gain an eternal life, the condition of God is that we believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son. This is just fair, isn’t it?
Scripture Scribbles: May 24, 2026 - Pentecost Sunday
As I waited for my brother in the confession line, soft background music began to play — The Summons (“Will You Come and Follow Me”). My mind drifted through the lyrics, each line echoing a call to radical discipleship:
“Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown?
Will you let my name be known?
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?”
Scripture Scribbles: May 17, 2026 - The Ascension of the Lord
There is so much packed into this short Gospel that I would love to highlight. So much! But I’m going to dive into that very last line.
“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Did you catch that?
“I am with you always”
Always!
Not sometimes, not occasionally, not when you were at Mass praying, or during adoration…. always!
Do you believe this? Do you live like this?
Scripture Scribbles: May 10, 2026
Today’s Gospel deeply resonates with so much of what he has walked me through this winter. In the darkest times, it has been simple obedience (“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.”) that has kept me anchored to who I know to be True.
Scripture Scribbles: May 3, 2026
Jesus tells us that He is the vine and His Father is the gardener. He identifies you and me as the branches. He tells us that, as only the gardener can, the Father cuts off what doesn’t belong and prunes the good so that it can be even more beautiful.
Scripture Scribbles: April 26, 2026
Amid all the chaos and strife in our world, do we still know who the true Shepherd is? The truth is, there are many deus falsus—false gods—in our midst today. Some, after tasting success, influence, or comfort, become deluded. They begin to think they can replace Jesus. They grow greedy and intoxicated by pride. Power and popularity cloud their judgment. Not everyone, certainly, but some who receive these gifts misuse them. How, then, do we recognize the warning signs?
Scripture Scribbles: April 19, 2026
The road to Emmaus is more than a journey on a dusty path; it is a pattern for our spiritual lives and for the Mass itself. On that road, Jesus “opened the Scriptures” for Cleopas and his companion, revealing God’s plan (Liturgy of the Word). Later, in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him (Liturgy of the Eucharist). Dr. Scott Hahn highlights that this pattern,—hearing God’s Word and gathering to break bread—continues in every celebration of the Mass.
Scripture Scribbles: April 12, 2026 - Sunday of Divine Mercy
Alleluia!!
Welcome Home!
Truly, welcome home, to all who entered the church this Easter! What a gift to witness, the joy, the beauty, the gift of those eternal sacraments being received by so many! Standing in our pew at the Easter Vigil, it felt like you could almost hold that joy. The candles, the incense, the flowers… and then that moment when everything shifts. The promises fulfilled. The darkness gives way. The bells ring out, the music swells, and the Church rejoices. It makes you want to capture it somehow, to keep it close for the days when the world feels loud and mundane.
Scripture Scribbles: April 5, 2026 - The Resurrection of the Lord
They ran. They ran. Fearful yet overjoyed Mary of Magdala and the other Mary ran.
This little detail lights up the Easter gospel for me. The two Marys took off at full tilt; skirts and mantles flying behind them, hearts and feet pounding, arms pumping, leaping over rocks in the path. I bet their cheeks were streaked with tears. But I bet their cheeks also grew sore on that run from smiling.
This day that seemed marked for death and grief:
“I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified”
had become a day of indescribable hope and joy:
“He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.”
Can you imagine our Lord’s smile when he went to meet his beloved Marys?
Scripture tells us that he greeted them. I imagine he shouted to them, joining in their joy. When they heard his voice and saw him just ahead, maybe they grasped each other’s hands and froze for a moment as they saw him(Alive! Impossible! And yet!) the reality of the resurrection vibrating through their hearts, minds and all of their senses.
Scripture Scribbles: March 29, 2026
“What are you willing to give me, if I hand Him over to you?”
The truth is, I think, if we’re honest, each of us in our own ways ask this very same question at different times throughout our life. Don’t we? We may not realize we are doing it, but every time we choose something the world may offer us over something the Lord is inviting us to we fall prey to this very same mindset as Judas. Maybe it takes the form of something like this:
Scripture Scribbles: March 22, 2026
Sometimes I awaken with a heaviness in my heart, fear and anxiety tied to ordinary, everyday struggles. A hardness of heart towards those I have felt rejected/hurt by also creeps in. As much as I desire to be Christlike, I am continually reminded that I am completely dependent on Him to resurrect these dead and wounded places within me.
Scripture reassures us: “Although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive. If the Spirit … dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life” (Romans 8:10–11). What feels lifeless in me is not beyond His power to restore.
Reflecting on the story of Lazarus, Jesus declares, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God.” My sin, my weakness, my darkness, these too can become opportunities for God to reveal His glory. St. Augustine echoes this truth. “In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me.”
Scripture Scribbles: March 15, 2026
Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not also blind, are we?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains.
How deep and enigmatic is this last part of the gospel. For a moment, I wondered how blindness can make a person sinless and how having sight can make one a sinner. After several meditations, I then realized that in life, there are times when we should SEE and times when we should NOT SEE. However, can we do both and avoid committing sin? I believe so.