Sister Mary Beth Klingel

Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. (John 12:24) This one sentence from today’s Gospel is loaded with food for thought. It (the seed) is loaded, literally, with potential for producing food. As we look around…

God so loved the world that God sent his only Son, so that everyone who believes in the Son may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17) The…

Then God spoke all these words: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before you … You shall not take the name of God in vain; for I, your God, will not hold guiltless those…

God tested Abraham. God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains. (Genesis 22:1-2) If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Jesus took Peter, James and John,…

God told Noah, “I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living being.” (Genesis…

While Jesus was at home, they came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said…

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. (Mark 1:40-42) Lepers were…

In the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35) In the midst of curing people and teaching, we often read in the gospels that Jesus went to a quiet place to pray. This passage from Mark is surrounded by…

Jesus went into Capernaum, and on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do…

As Jesus passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea; for they made their living by fishing. Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little…

Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord where the ark of God was. The Lord called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” Samuel thought Eli was calling him. Eli eventually realized that God was calling Samuel, so he instructed Samuel how to respond to God’s call. Samuel responded, “Speak, for your servant…

I have called you. I formed you, and set you as a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners from confinement. (Isaiah 42:6-7) Today Christians everywhere celebrate Jesus’ baptism by John, his cousin, in the Jordan River. We officially end the Christmas season. For many weeks to come…