One of the great things about reading the Bible is the vivid reminder that people are people. The admonitions of St. James, the description of marital difficulties by Jesus, could have been written today. Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another. Current events? The distance of two thousand years, the differences in culture,… Read More »
FEBRUARY242022
When my mother would say “I’ve told you a thousand times” we would object, “not a thousand.” To which she would respond, “Hyperbole added for emphasis.” Jesus was using hyperbole for emphasis when he said, If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. His point was that we should avoid those people, places,… Read More »
FEBRUARY232022
As the Archdiocese has been going through its renewal process one recurring question has centered around numbers: how many parishioners are on the books, how many are in the pews. While those can be a legitimate concerns the gospel suggests that other factors should have priority. “Whoever is not against us is for us.” Jesus… Read More »
FEBRUARY222022
Sister Millicent told us fifth graders that at every hour of the day, all around the world, the same Mass was being celebrated. Of course, since Vatican II while the Mass is celebrated at every hour around the world it is now celebrated in a rich chorus of voices with diverse musical accompaniment. This difference… Read More »
FEBRUARY212022
“I do believe, help my unbelief!” We have all probably prayed like the father of the epileptic boy at one time or another. We do believe that God is all good and desires our welfare. However, when we are going through a health crisis or a family emergency or experiencing financial worries we can wonder… Read More »
FEBRUARY202022
Fans of PBS might recognize G.K. Chesterton as the author of the Father Brown detective stories. He was a prolific author and famously once wrote: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” That he had a sharp wit can be seen in another of… Read More »
FEBRUARY192022
We usually think about sin as coming from some craving or desire on our part that leads to things like sexual indiscretion, over eating or drinking. The Bible describes an even more ominous avenue to sin in the human tendency to division and discord. For St. James the primary instrument sowing discord is the tongue.… Read More »
FEBRUARY182022
When Jesus asked the disciples “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus responded by talking about his suffering and death. When Peter objected Jesus told him “You are not thinking as God thinks.” To reinforce the message Jesus then gathered the crowd and told them: “Whoever wishes to… Read More »
FEBRUARY172022
Show no partiality as you adhere to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. This passage from the epistle of St. James reminded me of the first time I visited the church in Guamal, Colombia. When I went to Mass, right in the front of the congregation was a man who obviously had some… Read More »
FEBRUARY162022
One of the foundational principles of Martin Luther who inspired the Protestant reformation was: faith alone saves. However, in the epistle of James we read: Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. Martin Luther dismissed this epistle because it ran contrary to the emphasis on faith alone. However, another of his… Read More »
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