Today’s Gospel stands out as one of God’s most challenging teachings. While loving those who love us can be challenging at times, it is easy compared to loving someone that hates us. It is another level entirely to love those who hate us, but it is what God calls us to. It is easy to respond to those who hate us with anger, resentment, and revenge.

This week, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to discuss couples counseling and the need for strong relationships. Valentine’s Day can be very difficult for some couples due to unmet expectations, the realization that there are problems, and disappointment.

When I heard this week’s Gospel as a younger man, the disciples leaving their boats on the shore and following Jesus was not noteworthy to me. Half the people I knew had boats and if someone gave one away, it would not have been a big deal. Then I learned in a Scripture class that boats in Jesus’ time were hard to come by, difficult to make, and relied upon for livelihood.

Today’s Gospel reading has always reminded me of the tendency we have to look down on a person’s words, insights, and input due to how we perceive their status. This status could involve intelligence, wealth, or social standing among many others. Imagine how many people in today’s Gospel completely missed who was directly in front of them because of His identity as a carpenter’s son, which was certainly not a compliment in this context.

Depending on when and where you are attending mass today, you will hear a longer or shorter version of St. Paul’s reflection on how we are many parts of the same body. There are many different lessons that we can take from this famous passage, but one that stood out to me as I was reading through it; the danger with comparison.

I’ve always found it interesting that Jesus’ first miracle took place at a wedding. And that his first public display of his power was to create more wine for this celebration. It seems like his first miracle would have been some sort of healing or even something like the multiplication of the loaves and fish for the hungry crowds.

If someone introduces themselves to you, one of the first things they will probably tell you is what they do for a living. We live in a society that has made what we do a defining characteristic of who we are.

As a counselor, you would not believe how many times I hear about New Year’s Resolutions. They are most frequently made about things like diet, exercise, and saving money, but the possibilities are endless. I find myself having very little faith in New Year’s Resolutions alone to actually change anything in a person’s life.

Today’s readings speak to the importance of family. When God chose to become one of us, he came not as a self-sufficient adult, but as a part of a family; a child. The family is an integral part of God’s plan - both for Jesus and for each of us.

In past years, I have reflected on how difficult the holidays can be for some families. This year, I thought that it might be helpful to have a more in-depth reflection on navigating potential family problems during this holiday season.

“A stitch in time saves nine.” “Don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today,” “There’s no time like the present!” These old proverbs echo the wisdom and message of today’s readings. Both St. Paul and Jesus speak about the importance of being ready for the second coming of Christ.

Over the years, we have heard of many scandals within the Catholic Church, including our priests. Witnessing the evil of these events has resulted in some people leaving the Church, losing their faith, and cursing God. Often it is priests at the center of these scandals.

The readings in the month of November invite us to think about “the Last Things.” We look forward to Christ’s second coming at the end of time before we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas.

Have you ever sat down and really thought about the tremendous task of communicating with someone else in an effective way? It is often not an easy thing to do and miscommunication can run rampant in our friendships, families, and workplaces.

In the last two weeks, we have discussed the importance of serving others as a way to focus less on ourselves, as well as ways to maintain the delicate balance of serving others and taking care of ourselves at the same time. This week, I thought it might be useful to discuss serving and loving God, which is also mentioned in the Gospel this weekend. How do we love and serve God?

Last week, we discussed reflecting on ways to serve others as a way to focus more on others than we do on ourselves and answer the call of Christ. However, sometimes we can take the good of self-sacrifice to the extreme, to the point that it becomes unhealthy.

Today’s Gospel reading reminds me of a parable I heard years ago. The parable starts with an image of Hell where there is an enormous banquet of delicious food and everyone present is ravenous. Everyone has utensils attached to their hands that are three feet long and so they cannot scoop the food into their own mouths. Consequently, everyone remains starving. Heaven is the same thing, except everyone is feeding the people around them.

In this week’s Gospel, we hear the story of the rich man and how he is unwilling to give up what he is attached to in order to follow Jesus. Maybe it is just me, but it sometimes seems easy to look down at this man in the Gospel for being unable to give up his possessions.

Scrupulosity is an issue that has long been present in those that are pursuing a life of holiness.  If you struggle with scrupulosity, you are not alone- many saints in history had the same struggle. 

This week’s Gospel can be difficult to hear at times. Christ’s words are very powerful and what he is calling us to is very challenging. His words in this Gospel are great to reflect on from a mental health perspective. In my line of work, I frequently come across people who encounter situations, relationships, and habits that are triggers for destructive behavior.