Browsing Thoughts from Fr. Bob
Today is the first Sunday of Lent
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 2/27/20
Today is the first Sunday of Lent. As we begin this annual observance, the focus of the first and Gospel readings are on temptation. Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Jesus in tempted in the desert by the devil. Though Adam and ... Read More »
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 2/20/20
Last week we heard Jesus tell his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” Indeed, we hear Jesus use the same words in today’s Gospel that the Torah uses in the first ... Read More »
...love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 2/12/20
Over the next two weeks we will hear an extended passage from Matthew’s gospel in which Jesus reinterprets the law, the ten commandments, for his disciples. He challenges his followers to take it one step further, to do more than just follow the letter of the law.
The law ... Read More »
As parish administrator for St. James Parish...
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 2/12/20
As parish administrator for St. James Parish, my primary responsibility is to help you grow as disciples of Jesus and to equip you to go and make disciples of others which is really the mission statement of our parish community. I am excited to share with you that our ... Read More »
Presentation of the Lord
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 1/31/20
Ordinarily this would be the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time of the church year. But, every now and then, February 2 falls on a Sunday. This Sunday is forty days after Jesus was born. In accordance with the Torah, Mary and Joseph brought him to the temple in Jerusalem ... Read More »
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 1/23/20
Twice today we hear the words “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Even though we just heard these words a month ago at Christmas, it’s good to hear them again. Jesus began his mission by fulfilling the words of the great prophet Isaiah.
Throughout ... Read More »
Christian Unity
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 1/16/20
January 18-25 marks the annual week of prayer for Christian unity. It begins with the first of Peter’s confessions of faith and concludes with the feast of Paul’s conversion. The theme for this year’s observance is: “they showed us unusual kindness” (Acts 28:2).
There is so much division in ... Read More »
Baptism of the Lord
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 1/10/20
Over the last month or so, we have heard the news of God’s most wonderful gift revealed to a larger and larger audience. First, Mary was told of the role she was asked to play as the mother of God. When Joseph was planning to divorce her, he was ... Read More »
Epiphany
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 1/02/20
The tree may be taken down, gifts opened, put away, returned or even broken, and decorative lights turned off, but the Church continues to celebrate the word made flesh, the incarnation. Today we celebrate another great aspect of Christmas. A light, a star, shines for all to see, revealing ... Read More »
Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Posted by Fr Bob Betz on 12/26/19
The Sunday after Christmas is dedicated to the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We might think they are too remote, too special, too holy to be an effective model for our families. But, just like our families, they enjoyed good times, but also suffered ... Read More »