Bishop Perry and I were reminiscing about the olden days when we were seminarians. In the early 70s the reforms of Vatican II were starting to transform the structures of the Church. One aspect of this reform was the formation of several organizations to promote the presence and activity of Black Catholics in the Church.… Read More »

It is  curious that the story Jesus told in Luke 15 is commonly called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” “A man had two sons.” It couldn’t be more obvious that the parable is about both sons, not simply the younger. Perhaps the Church has chosen to emphasize the younger, “prodigal” son over the ages… Read More »

 “Here comes that master dreamer! Come on, let us kill him and … we shall then see what comes of his dreams.” This passage from the book of Genesis about Joseph could have been written about Dr. King. The forces opposing equality imagined that if they killed the dreamer, the dream of a society where… Read More »

“There was a rich man who dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores.” One obvious lesson we should draw from the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is to reach out and care for our neighbors who are in need. A less obvious,… Read More »

The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sons …  She answered him, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”  Jesus called James and John the “sons of thunder.” It looks like their mother was the thunder! This… Read More »

It is probably not a good idea to disagree with Jesus but what are we to make of his instruction to listen to those who preach but do not practice. Think, for example, of parents who tell their children not to cuss or smoke when they continue cuss and smoke. The children can’t process that… Read More »

Something wonderful is often described as a “mountaintop experience.” When you’re at the top of a mountain you can see far, the air is clear and crisp, the ordinary troubles of life seem small in comparison to the expansive vision stretched out before you in all directions. Dr. King famously talked about having a mountaintop… Read More »

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.‘ How are we to understand this commandment of Jesus when we are making judgments all the time? For example, we have made the judgment that the systemic racism in our society must be eliminated. We need to couple that Jesus commandment with another:  Be merciful, just as… Read More »

Today you are making this agreement with the LORD: he is to be your God and you are to walk in his ways … And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own. A consistent theme in the Hebrew Scriptures is the “agreement,” the covenant,… Read More »

St. Teresa of Avila once said that if she had to choose between a holy spiritual director and a competent one she would choose the competent one every time.  Seminaries and formation programs are geared to give individuals the competence they will need in ministry. However, the Vatican Council reminded us there is a universal… Read More »