As a young priest I was in charge of the youth group of the parish. We used to stage a mock trial: is there enough evidence to convict you of being a Christian? We had a prosecutor, defense attorney, judge and jury who would pronounce a verdict. What was fascinating was how the trial progressed.… Read More »
APRIL82024
Yesterday the gospel was the story of Doubting Thomas. We thank God for his doubts because they help us to understand the Risen Jesus better. Today when the Church celebrates the feast of the Annunciation we have a similar story of doubt. When the Angel Gabriel announces to young Mary that she was to “conceive… Read More »
APRIL72024
Doubting Thomas actually had the right idea. “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” The only Risen Christ worth believing in is one who is wounded. The Son of God came to share… Read More »
APRIL62024
“It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” This word of the first followers of Jesus must become our word as well. A modern theologian, Karl Rahner, put it this way: Christians of tomorrow will either be mystics, people who have experienced something, or they will nothing. In… Read More »
APRIL52024
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. St. Luke situates the miraculous catch of fish at the very beginning of the ministry of Jesus, as the event that… Read More »
APRIL42024
After their encounter with the Risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus Mr. and Mrs. Cleopas hastened back to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles. They recounted what had taken place along the way,and how they had come to recognize him in the breaking of bread. St. Luke tells this Resurrection story to those early… Read More »
APRIL32024
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” How can I get a burning heart? Christians in general and Catholics in particular can be head people. We learn our creeds and catechisms. We read the Bible. We listen to sermons. It all… Read More »
March 31 2024
March 31 2024
APRIL22024
There is a wonderful commercial where a little girl is sitting in the driver’s seat of a car and her father is leaning in giving her all sorts of instructions about safe driving. When the camera swings away from the father and back to her we see she is not a little girl at all… Read More »
APRIL12024
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed … And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. There are two traditions that talk about the resurrection of Jesus. The first is the empty tomb. In fact, the oldest manuscripts in St. Mark (which is probably… Read More »