In one sense it is a coincidence that on Sunday the lectionary proposes St. Luke’s version of the requirements for discipleship and on Monday, St. Matthew’s. But maybe it isn’t coincidence, but providence. God is giving us a little smack on the side of the head: pay attention. What strikes me about Jesus’ encounter with… Read More »

Prisoner #492867 had schemed and then worked on the plan for years. He had silently punched a hole in the cell block and then spent month after month digging a tunnel out of the prison and underneath the fences. When he had calculated he had gone as far as the little stand of trees outside… Read More »

While it is certainly true that the Bible is the Word of God, even the most casual of reading show it to be a human word as well. (The Bible, like Jesus, is an incarnate word.) The readings assigned for this day illustrate this in dramatic fashion. We have all had to endure times of… Read More »

Only three birthdays are celebrated in the liturgy: Jesus, Mary and John the Baptist. Pretty elite company! This reflects the important place that John the Baptist played in the history of salvation. The sermons in the Acts of the Apostles testify to this. The writings of the Fathers of the Church look on John as… Read More »

We have been reading the Old Testament lessons telling the story of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah for the past few weeks. They end today with the account of the conquest of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the exile of the people. The Gospel account of the Sermon on the Mount also concludes today… Read More »

Around the year 622 B.C. “the book of the law” was found in the temple in Jerusalem. (Perhaps this book was an early version of the Book of Deuteronomy?) King Josiah took this find as the model on which to base the reforms he was instituting in the kingdom of Judah. The need to reform,… Read More »

The deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian army of Sennacherib around the year 700 B.C. was prophesied by Isaiah. This led to a popular opinion that God would protect the Holy City against the enemies of Judah. “Mount Zion, is the city of the great King. God is with her castles; renowned is he as… Read More »

Human beings like explanations, like to link up cause and effect. When the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed and taken into exile in 721 B.C. by the Assyrians (i.e., the Iraqis — some conflicts are perennial) the Biblical author explained the catastrophe as a result of the people of the northern tribes (now we… Read More »

Sometimes it’s a matter of asking the right question. Einstein claimed that the theory of relativity developed because he asked, “What would it be like to ride on a beam of light?” The ancient Rabbi Hillel inspired modern-day politicians as diverse as Robert Kennedy and Ronald Reagan with the question: “If not us, then who?… Read More »