Readings for the Fourth Sunday (Laetare Sunday) of Lent - Joshua 5:9a, 10-12;  Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Readings don't get much better than this.  They both focus upon and celebrate God's goodness and presence within our circumstances.  But they also remind us that there is work to do.  There is a journey to take.  We need to come to our senses.  During this 40 day movement of penitence and simplicity, fasting, almsgiving and prayer, we come up for a moment of relief.  A breath of fresh air.  We already live within the vision.  We just need to go that final mile.  
Special thanks to all of those who have made this podcast what it is - those who helped vision it and create it into being, and those who have walked w/ me in many and various ways along the path.  I am grateful.  I'm most grateful, however, for you who continue to listen and share this with others.  Thank you for your trust.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 3rd Sunday in Lent - Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15;  Luke 13:1-9
Lots of time spent in this podcast on the first reading which is so good.  Moses and the Burning Bush.  Yeah, kind of an important reading - but there is so much there.  Moses thought he was in a place where he couldn't be found.  A bush is burning but not consumed.  Moses makes a conscious decision to go nearer.  The ground is holy.  Every one of these points has something to say to you and I.  And I haven't even talked about the Gospel yet!  Time is short.  We can't afford to walk by those moments of encounter in our lives any more.
Special thanks to Bridget, Shamus and Mandy, without whom this podcast wouldn't even be a thing.  And thanks to all of you - for your patience as I work through this annoying problem with my host feed but also continuing to listen and share.  I'm so grateful.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the Second Sunday of Lent - Genesis 15:5-12; 17-18  Luke 9:28b-36
Most of the time, we go through life asleep.  This is not a put down, it's simply the truth.  We sleep walk through our days, our months, our years, our lives.  But there are those days when the scales fall from our eyes, when we have the wherewithal or the ability to break through the cloud and we awaken.  The veil parts and we see.  They are mountaintop experiences and we realize the imminence and greatness of our God.  And as long as we are able to remember, our lives are no longer the same.  Until we get drowsy again.  This weekend, our readings invite us to waken to the glory and humility of the Almighty One.
Special thanks to Bridget, Shamus and Mandy, without whom this podcast would be a thing.  But most of all, thanks to all of you.  Because of your listening, your rating, your sharing, people all over the world have joined in.  I'm so humbled and grateful.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 1st Sunday of Lent - Deuteronomy 26:4-10;  Luke 4:1-13
We hear the same story every 1st Sunday of Lent, with the only difference being whose version it is.  The story is the Temptation in the Desert and this year, we get Luke's perspective.  And like so many of the Gospel stories, we can read them and think of them merely as stories that happened to Jesus all those years ago, showing us His wisdom, strength and confirming Him as God's Beloved.  But we would be selling the Gospel short if that's how we hear it.  The stories may be about Jesus, but they are our stories, too.  Jesus is the pattern and shows us the way.  We walk in His footsteps. 
Special thanks, as always, to Shamus, Bridget and Mandy - for without them this podcast wouldn't be a reality, and it wouldn't sound like it does.  Mostly, thanks to you - for continuing to listen (especially during this time of not knowing when the podcasts will be dropped into your feeds!) and share them with others.  I'm grateful and humbled.  Have a question or a comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 1 Corinthians 15:54-58;  Luke 6:39-45
Listen, we all know that death is incredibly difficult and traumatic.  So what, exactly, is Paul talking about in 1 Corinthians and how can he make such a claim?  We then turn once again to the Gospel and Jesus's Sermon on the Plain, where Jesus invites us into another death of sorts.  And where we are invited is no easy journey.
Special thanks to Bridget and Shamus, without whom this podcast would not sound like it does or operate as it does.  And thanks to Mandy, without whom this podcast would even be a thing.  Mostly - thanks to all of you for listening, sharing and rating this pod.  I'm humbled at your trust and at the places this podcast has gone.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23;  Luke 6:27-38
The Kingdom of God is not like the kingdoms we create as humans.  And if we try to fit our understanding of God and the teachings of the Kingdom into our current mode of thinking or our current structures, they just won't fit.  And if we force them in, they are no longer the teachings of Jesus.  They become made in our image, because we would rather have our agendas dictate the outcomes.  We do it all the time.  And it's tragic.
Special thanks to Bridget and Shamus - for setting me up in this space and making it better than I could have done on my own.  And thanks to Mandy for the inspiration.  Mostly - thanks to all of you for continuing to listen, share and rate this podcast.  I'm humbled and grateful.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Jeremiah 17:5-8;  Luke 6:17, 20-26
Jesus invites us down to a level place and shares a hard truth with us.  And for many of us listening, it's a time to take a look in the mirror and see which side of the truth we've been living within.  But as with all things God, there is a fork in front of us today and we can choose which road we take.  
Special thanks, as always, to Shamus and Bridget - to whom I owe much in this podcast.  I also need to thank Mandy for her inspiration with the whole idea.  Of course, I'm most grateful to all of you for listening, rating and sharing this pod.  I'm incredibly humbled.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Isaiah 6:1-2a, 3-8;  Luke 5:1-11
In today's readings, we hear about the call of God.  But, thankfully, it doesn't just focus on the action of God.  It focuses on the ones God calls - their thoughts, their response, how they see themselves and how they see God.  And the more things change, the more they stay the same.  The people we see, the barriers that are placed between God and their response, sound so familiar.  They are us.  If that is true - and it is - then what will be our response?
Special thanks, as always, to two of my children - Shamus for helping me set up this whole project and Bridget for providing the music we hear as we enter and exit.  I'm grateful for their support - and yours!  Without your listening, rating and sharing this podcast, it wouldn't be what it is.  Thank you - I'm humbled and honored.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected].

Readings for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord:  Malachi 3:1-4;  Luke 2:22-40
Continuing my shameless ripping off of the titles of famous songs (and this time, my apologies to Bob Seger), we hear a familiar story that sounds so wonderful at first listen.  A couple presents their child in the Temple and people come out of the woodwork to proclaim his title, mission and ministry.  Who wouldn't be consoled by that?  If only Simeon would've stopped halfway through.  But he didn't.  He looks directly and Mary and Joseph and tells them what lies ahead for them, should they continue to move forward.  Yet they do.  They steel themselves and walk into the future.  Our faith invites the same from us.  It's not all duckies and bunnies.  
Special thanks to my daughter, Bridget Zenk, for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  And thanks to my son, Shamus, for setting me up on this host and helping me figure all of this technical stuff out.  Of course - thanks to you, as always.  Thanks for listening, for trusting, for passing it along, for rating.  I'm humbled and grateful.  Have a question or comment?  I can be reached at [email protected]

Readings for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10;  Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21
My apologies to Billie Eilish on stealing the name for this title.  But I just had to.  It works too well.  Today we hear about beginnings in the Gospel, and new beginnings in the first reading.  And both take tremendous courage.  It takes courage to own up to our mistakes and attempt to begin again.  And it takes courage to accept the mission for which we were born and to live it out even in the midst of others questioning us.  As followers of Jesus, we are called not to be women and men of perfection, but rather to be women and men of courage, both individually and as a people. 
Special thanks, as always, to my daughter Bridget for her composition and performing of our intake and outtake music.  I'm so proud of her.  And special thanks to you for continuing to listen, rate and share this podcast with others.  I'm humbled and grateful.  Not sure why it didn't post last week and I'm hoping this one does - but I'll continue to work on it.  As always, questions/comments can be sent to me at [email protected]