The Bible readings for each day (the Lectionary) are designed to expose us to the great variety of the Scriptures. But, since the Bible is a big book, we don’t see everything as part of the cycle of readings — only 72% of the New Testament. We skip over, for example, one of my favorite… Read More »

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus. Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man here left in custody by Felix.” The names of these Roman officials are well known to historians. Festus was the procurator, a role that Pontius Pilate had held 30 years previously.… Read More »

Many times when someone tells me of some trouble or difficulty or grief they are going through I say “I will be praying for you.” I hadn’t realized how important that was until my own mother died and I drew great consolation in knowing that people were praying for me in my loss. In St.… Read More »

When I worked at LSU we had the custom of offering “swan song” lectures. Various professors were asked to deliver what they would want to be their last lecture to sum up their career. St. Paul and Jesus are giving their swan song in the readings for today — their last sermons. The Acts and… Read More »

I have a newspaper from May 28, 1899 with a story about St. James. It starts off saying “St. James is the richest and the largest church in Chicago.” Fast forward 123 years and, after all of the reorganization of parishes, St. James is probably the smallest parish in Chicago. The question of Elizabeth has… Read More »

Paul, who had been working in Corinth, went to Ephesus and Apollos, who had been in Ephesus, went to Corinth. Call it a pulpit exchange. As the Acts of the Apostles makes clear, the people of Ephesus benefitted from the preaching of Paul. I have no doubt that the people of Corinth, though formed by… Read More »

Why doesn’t somebody do something? As the list of atrocities continues to grow the question becomes more and more urgent. School children are slaughtered in Texas. Why doesn’t the Congress do something! Racist murders in Buffalo. Why doesn’t the President do something! Forty-three children under the age of 13 were shot and killed in Chicago… Read More »

Saint John Henry Newman was a nineteenth century English theologian who is considered something of a godfather to Vatican II. Two of his books were particularly influential: On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine and An Essay On Development Of Christian Doctrine. Newman looked at the history of the Church and reminded his readers that even… Read More »

When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal. The ancient city of Corinth was abandoned after an earthquake so the ruins from the Biblical era can be visited today. You can walk down the streets Paul traveled on and see the judgement seat where Gallio… Read More »

Corinth was a great spot for a tent-maker, like Paul, to base their business. It was a busy port. The Isthmus of Corinth was a narrow stretch of land that today has a canal through it. In Paul’s time boats would be put on log rollers and pushed the three or so miles from one… Read More »