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  Thursday - Feast of St. Gregory the Great Gospel - Luke 5:1-11 Waiting for that Lightning Bolt Sea of Galilee, Capernaum How many times have you walked away from a challenge?   Turned your back on something so new and different that you were afraid?   Something that you knew would completely change your life? Either it was too radically different or you were too comfortable with the life you were living?   16 years ago I was happily teaching high school religion.   Life was good and very full not only as a teacher but as a husband, father and grandfather.   And I knew retirement was not that far away.   But then a chance comment after Mass changed everything.   Have you ever thought about becoming a Deacon?   Simple answer – NO!   End of story, or so I thought.   But the possibility kept nagging at me and I kept ignoring it.   I figured – fine, I will just wait for that obvious lightning bolt from heaven, just to be s...
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  Wednesday – 22 nd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 4:38-44 A (Luke)Warm Reception Ruins of Peter’s House, Capernaum   Friends, please note!   I will be taking a short break for the next few days beginning Friday 9/4; time to catch my breath, attend to some family and ministry duties and recharge my ‘batteries’.   Facebook and email posts will return on Tuesday Sept 8.   In the meantime, you can still access daily posts on my blog -   https://deaconbillfrere.blogspot.com/ In case you hadn’t noticed, this week our daily Gospel readings have shifted from Matthew to Luke.   Tradition tells us that Luke was a Gentile and a doctor.   So it’s not unusual then that, when Jesus performs a healing miracle, Luke provides a bit more detail to the illness.   And so Peter’s mother-in-law is not just “sick”; she is sick with a severe fever.   In the days ahead when we go deeper into Luke, you will also see an emphasis on Jesus as the ...
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  Tuesday – 22 nd Week in Ordinary Time Gospel - Luke 4:31-37 The Word of God Synagogue, Capernaum   NO!!!   And that was it!   End of discussion, if there even was any!   Maybe we wanted overnight at a friend’s house or it was that one special toy we felt we had to have!   It didn’t matter if it was our mom or our dad.   That one simple word was the final say and any attempt to plead our case was pointless!   That one word had power; it had forcefulness and finality!   And it allowed for no discussion! The Power of the Word! That is what we hear in today’s Gospel.   The Power of the Word, the Word of God!   Jesus is in the synagogue at Capernaum preaching on the Sabbath.   And the people’s response is overwhelming.   They are amazed by His knowledge of Scripture and His wisdom!   They are astonished with His teaching!   Such is the Power of His Word! But He isn’t done.   There is a man there posse...
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