Since the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were written down long after the events described, it contains layers. In the text is the memory of what Jesus said and did. Then the story was shaped as told and re-told by the Church for generations. Finally, the evangelist wrote down the story in a… Read More »

The Lord will give them up, until the time  when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel. The Bible does not talk about the birth of Mary. Christian imagination has invented pious legends to fill in what we don’t know. My… Read More »

St. Luke tells us that after Jesus spent the night in prayer he selected the twelve apostles. I’m sure that they were honored at being chosen. But what about the ones who weren’t chosen, did they feel passed over? We know the names of at least two of them from the Acts of the Apostles… Read More »

St. Paul, subordinate clause maestro, is difficult to read in translation. (Which is not to say he is easy to read in Greek!) In Colossians we read: I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. St. Paul does NOT… Read More »

 Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! But Isaiah, there is so much to be frightened about. We’re frightened of the virus — not just the havoc it is creating in peoples’ health but also the way it has divided society. That’s not even to mention the fact that we are… Read More »

During the civil rights era one tactic employed was the “sit-in.” It was illegal in segregated states for black folk to sit at lunch counters so the protestors would deliberately do the provocative act of sitting where they won’t supposed to sit to make the world notice the state of affairs. Jesus seemed to do… Read More »

The traditional description of salvation  is the “atonement theory.” God created the world good. Adam messed up and offended God causing the gates of heaven to be shut. Since the offense was infinite the remedy needed to be infinite as well. Only God could repair an offense against God. Jesus as the Son of God… Read More »

The call of the first disciples in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark is very abrupt. Jesus calls; they follow. Luke describes a process of being a disciple that rings true to our experience. First, they are interested in what Jesus says. Then they are attracted enough to the message that they let him use… Read More »

St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians starts off, as his letters tend to do, with words of thanks and praise.  We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for… Read More »

From now until Advent the Gospel reading are taken from Luke. After Jesus’ mission is rejected in his home town of Nazareth, he moves the center of his work to Capernaum, a fishing town on the Sea of Galilee. Here he confronts the presence of evil which plagues the community. The “unclean demon” he drives… Read More »