“WOULD THAT WE HAD DIED BY THE HAND OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, WHEN WE SAT BY POTS FULL OF MEAT AND ATE BREAD TO THE FULL…” This complaint of the people of Israel is striking, first of all because it was the people themselves who cried out to the Lord for help. Exodus 2:23 tells us that the Israelites cried out, and their cry from slavery rose up to God. They themselves wanted to leave Egyptian slavery; they themselves had begged for help—and now that God has freed the

There is a certain contrast between the Psalm and today’s Gospel. Psalm 121 tells us of a God who is always ready to protect those who trust in Him… “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand… The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” And yet, when we turn to the Gospel, we find Jesus who seems not to listen to a mother pleading with Him. At

Exodus 8:16–24; Ephesians 5:1–9; Luke 11:14–28 Lent is a time of reflection. Not a superficial reflection in which we simply feel bad for a moment, but a deeper look—an honest look—at the condition of our hearts. The Church gives us these forty days not because repentance is necessary only now, but because we need space. Space to see. Space to listen. Space to allow God to reveal what we often avoid. Today’s readings lead us into that honest light. In Exodus 8:16–24, Egypt is

There is something deeply unsettling when we enter a situation we do not fully understand, yet know we must keep going. A child senses it when a parent falls silent. A patient notices it when a doctor pauses before speaking. There are moments when silence itself becomes heavy, and the question forms in the heart before it even reaches the lips: what is happening here? That quiet tension fills the journey in Genesis. Abraham and Isaac walk together up the mountain. Isaac carri

Gen. 3:1–21; 2 Cor. 6:1–10; Matt. 4:1–11 Lent is not comfortable. I believe you will hear this phrase often from now on. The Church, in her wisdom, gives us today’s readings not to inspire us, but to test us. We do not begin with self-improvement, but with truth. And the truth is this: when temptation comes, do we cling to the Word of God? If we answer honestly—not piously, not theoretically, but honestly—the answer is no. When temptation comes, do we cling to the Word? Or do