Category Archives: Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflections

Friday of the 7th week of Easter, May 26, 2023 Feast of Saint Phillip Neri, Priest Acts 25: 13b-21; Ps 103-1-2, 11-12, 19-20; Jn 21:15-19 When we hear the readings for today, it is easy to wonder how they fit together. After all, the first reading with Paul is all about Paul’s imprisonment and howContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 5-26-23”

Friday of the 6th week of Easter, May 19, 2023 Acts 18:9-18; Ps 47: 2-7; Jn 16:20-23 “No one will take your joy away from you.” (Jn 16:22) What reassurance we have from God regarding joy. How someone or something can take it away from us so easily is very disconcerting. Maybe instead of focusingContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 5-19-23”

Friday of the 5th week of Easter, May 12, 2023Acts 15:22-31; Ps 57:8-10, 12; Jn 15:12-17 The other night, we were sitting at home and had just finished watching the news on TV. I was thinking to myself about all the noise I was hearing. The announcer was practically yelling in my face about theContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 5-12-23”

Friday of the 4th week of Easter, May 5, 2023Acts 13:26-33; Ps 2: 6-11; Jn 14:1-6 This week started with Jesus being the Good Shepherd, the one who will make sure we are protected and cared for. All week long we have been hearing about how Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd, but alsoContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 5-5-23”

3rd Friday of Easter, April 28, 2023Acts 9:1-20; Ps 117:1-2; Jn 6:52-59 Today we once again hear the story of St. Paul’s conversion. Dramatic and beautiful all on its own. Wouldn’t we all want a powerful conversion like that? I am not sure I would want to get knocked down and lose my sight. JustContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 4-28-23”

Friday, 2nd week of Easter, April 21, 2023 Acts 5:34-42; Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14; Jn 6:1-15 A long time ago, a friend told me, “Don’t pick a fight with God, you can’t win.” What my friend was referring to was my unwillingness to fully commit my life to God. I believed in God, butContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 4-21-23”

Friday of the Easter Octave, April 14, 2023 Acts 4:1-12; Ps 118:1-2, 4, 22-27a; Jn 21:1-14 By the time this is published, and you read it, I will have met with a classroom of 4th graders asking (tough) questions about their faith. It always amazes me the questions they come up with: “Who made God?,”Continue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Homily 4-14-23”

Good Friday, April 7, 2023 Is 52:13-53:12; Ps 31:2,6, 12-13, 15-17, 25; Heb 4:14-16, 5:7-9; Jn 18:1-19:42 Preface: I will admit, this is from last year. But, when I read it in preparing for this year, I liked it so much, I decided to use it again. However, I would like to add one thing,Continue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 4-7-23”

5th Wednesday of Lent, March 29, 2023 Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; (Ps) Dn 3:52-56; Jn 8:31-42 How difficult it is sometimes to understand what altar we are standing in front of. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew very well what altar they were in front of. They were in front of King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden altar. AndContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 3-29-23”

4th Friday in Lent, March 24, 2023Wis 2:1a, 12-22; Ps 34:17-21, 23, Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 I enjoy reading the book of Wisdom because it gives us an insight into where the Jewish people were at about 100 years prior to Christ. It not only reminds us how they reacted to persecution, but it alsoContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 3-24-23”

Friday of the 1st week of Lent, March 3, 2023Ez 18:21-28; Ps 130:1-8; Mt 5:20-26 When I read the readings for today, I almost burst out laughing. While my kids are grown now, I cannot tell you how many times I heard, ”It’s NOT Fair!!” And now, we have Ezekiel saying a similar thing, “TheContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Homily 3-3-23”

Friday after Ash Wednesday, February 24, 2023Is 58:1-9a; Ps 51:3-6a, 18-19; Mt 9:14-15 When I was young, I often fasted for two reasons, one, because I was trying to get my body in shape for Cross Country season. I felt that if I fasted, I could strip all the excess fat from my body (evenContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 2-24-23”

6th Friday in Ordinary Time, Yr 1, February 17, 2023Gn 11:1-9; Ps 33:10-15; Mk 8:34-9:1 Whenever I hear the reading of the Tower of Babel, my mind goes back to the late 1970s and I think of a Babel Fish. That small yellowish fish that when you stick it in your ear, you immediately areContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 2-17-23”

5th Friday in Ordinary Time; Feast of St. Scholastica, February 10, 2023Gn 3:1-8; Ps 32:1-2, 5-7; Mk 7:31-37 Today we hear the story again of original sin. The very first time man, in this case, Eve, and then her husband Adam, were tricked into doing something that was not good for us. In Eve’s case,Continue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Homily 2-10-23”

4th Friday in ordinary time, also feast of Saint Blaise and Saint Ansgar, February 3, 2023Heb 13:1-8;  Ps 27:1,3,5,8-9; Mk 6:14-29 The group of friends I hang around with, let’s call it the “Rockford” area even though I live in Belvidere, are known around the country as, “Those hospitable folks from Rockford!” They are alwaysContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection – 2-3-23”

3rd Friday in Ordinary Time, Yr 1, Optional Memorial of Saint Angela Merici, January 27, 2023Heb: 10:32-39; Ps 37:3-6, 23-24, 39-40; Mk 4:26-34 I have a friend who is suffering immensely from cancer. Yet through it all, he bears witness to the glory of God. He said, “It is through my suffering, that I believe someoneContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 1-27-23”

2nd Friday in Ordinary Time, Yr. 1, also Feast of St Sebastian and St Fabian, January 20, 2023|Heb 8:6-13; Ps 85:8, 10-14; Mk 3:13-19 We continue with our theme this week of a high priest. In the letter to the Hebrews, the high priest, once again, is Jesus. But in this case, the writer isContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 1-20-23”

1st Friday in Ordinary Time, Year 1, January 13, 2023Heb: 4:1-5, 11; Ps 78: 3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2:1-12 Which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or, “Pick up your mat and go home? To understand what Jesus is saying here, we need to understand the time and place it was being said.Continue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 1-13-23”

Christmas Weekday, Friday, January 6, 20231 Jn 5:5-13; Ps 147: 12-15, 19-20; Mk 1:7-11 I will start today with a question. And that question is this: Who do you believe? So think of that question as you listen to this homily. I am going to start by talking about Baptism. I don’t think any ofContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Homily 1-6-23”

Feast of the Holy Family, Friday, December 30, 2022Sir 3-2-6, 12-14; Ps 128:1-5 Mt 2:13-15, 19-23 I was watching a new episode of “The Chosen” the other night. It was right after the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus called the disciples together before they split up for some R&R. As they were talking, JesusContinue reading “Deacon Stu Dobson’s Reflection 12-30-22”