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Fr. Charlie Bouchard, OP breaks open the readings for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, breaking open the parable of the mustard seed. Though it is not the smallest of seeds, it can grow wherever it finds itself. Can we see those seeds growing within ourselves?

Readings: Ezekiel 17:22–24, 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, Mark 4:26–34

In the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." When we extend mercy to others, we are also blessed, so this gift is doubled. When we are wronged it is quote natural to want vengeance, Intead, we would be better off to seek justice tempered with mercy.

In the Garden of Eden, Eve and Adam made a bad choice to break away from God because of pride. We all have free choice, and we should use our choices to enhance what unites us rather than furthering what divides us.

On this Ascension Sunday, we have in the readings both sides of a dichotomy in the spiritual life—contemplation, symbolized by the disciples gazing up into heaven, and action, symbolized by Jesus' command for them to go out and preach. We each need to balance these for a healthy spiritual life.

In our first reading, Apollos was an eloquent Christian preacher, but needed further instruction in the faith, which was provided by Priscilla and Aquila. How might further study improve our own faith journey?

Jesus tells those who were looking for him because they had their fill of bread to search instead for the food that endures to eternal life. We should all look deeper at what we really want out of God and the Church.

The resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples and eats with them and still has the wounds in his hands and in his side. This is no "spiritual" resurrection, but bodily resurrection in which we can unite our our own bodily suffering with his, and be in solidarity with all those who suffer.

Fr. Charlie Bouchard, OP breaks open the readings for this Palm Sunday, noticing how embodied all of the readings are. Jesus gave his body for our salvation. Can we give our bodies, just as they are, for the salvation and faith of others?

On this Feast of St. Joseph, we remember him as the patron saint of happy deaths, since he died presumably with Mary and Jesus at his side. Some planning ahead and conversing with loved ones can make your dying moments more likely to go better.

Today's readings are full of sin, but in the first, courage and wisdom are shown to be more powerful than sin, and in the Gospel, mercy is stronger than sin. So we acknowledge sin in the world, but also that it is not the whole picture.

Jesus told his followers to be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect. While we can never reach the perfection of God, we can always be better than we are right now, and striving for that is good enough.

The readings today talk about developing virtue, the inclination to choose to do what is good. Virtue is skill that is developed, and Lent is perfect time to work on it. What virtue would you like to work on this Lent?