The Archdiocese of Chicago is going through a process to re-vitalize the faith entitled “Renew my Church.” The starting point of the process is what they are calling “objective criteria” of finances and Sunday attendance. Jesus did not have objective criteria as the starting point of his ministry. When asked about his legitimacy he did… Read More »

I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly. The idea of “a remnant” is a common theme among the prophets of Israel. They consistently critique the people for their infidelity and backsliding. The solution they imagine is not a mass conversion to the ways of God but rather a… Read More »

To understand another person you must speak the same language. Jesus was not being evasive with the chief priests and elders when he said, “I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.” He was trying to find out… Read More »

What should we do? That question springs to our lips as readily nowadays as it did in the time of John the Baptist. The Baptist gives his answers with a series of pieces of advice, Dear Abby style. St. Paul gives a more challenging, yet probing answer to that question in the letter to the… Read More »

One of the highlights of the Jewish liturgical year is the family meal at Passover, the Seder. The custom is that each family will set one more place setting than the invited guests — the Elijah seat. This testifies to the hope for the arrival of the Messiah whom Elijah proclaims, and it also symbolizes… Read More »

If Jesus were a modern person Matthew 11 might be entitled: haters gonna hate. ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ One thing you can be sure of — no matter what you do you are going to be criticized. If they… Read More »

If you want someone to listen to you, it doesn’t seem like the best strategy to start off insulting them. Yet that is what God does in getting the Chosen People’s attention: Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel; I will help you, says the LORD. Israel had been brought very low, crawling in… Read More »

Devotion to the immaculate conception of Mary did not become widespread until the eleventh century in England. It stirred theological debate — Thomas Aquinas and the Dominicans frowning on the devotion since it was not scriptural. Duns Scotus and the Franciscans spoke in favor of the devotion since it demonstrated the grace of God at… Read More »

Dorothy Day was described as one who “comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.” Although that description is not particularly religious — it goes back to her days as a muckraking journalist — it is an apt definition of the activity of a prophet. For example, in Isaiah the beginning chapters are challenging Israel to… Read More »

The cure of the paralyzed man is very instructive about how Jesus operated. The scene is set around Jesus as healer. The power of the Lord was with him for healing. Presumably seeking a healing was why his friends brought paralyzed man to Jesus. It must have been somewhat of a surprise when instead of… Read More »