Jesus gave very clear instructions to the twelve, his first apostles. “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” He wanted to limit their and his mission to the familiar, to those he knew, to his own people. In meeting the Samaritan… Read More »

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned.  While there are situations where my heart is moved with pity — refugee children separated from their parents, dying patients isolated from loved ones, people who are denied opportunity because of their race or national… Read More »

The prophet Hosea had his work cut out for him. He worked in the northern kingdom of Israel and they felt they had all they needed — God had given them the land, a king, and a place to worship. They felt fat and sassy… so much so that they forget about the God who… Read More »

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me … For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Jesus used an image that his hearers would readily understand this a yoke was something they saw often. However, a yoke is not part of our everyday experience it might help to provide a definition: A… Read More »

Perhaps no other country on earth makes such a claim on its people. We are not a nation because of our geography, our ethnicity or our history. We are a nation because of our ideals: “that all [people] are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.”  If we… Read More »

Our age is known for its unbelief.  Whole swatches of society, whole age cohorts no longer affiliate with any faith tradition. The example of St. Thomas provides a path to coming to belief. Thomas was not convinced by argument, persuasion, even personal testimony. Thomas came to faith by touching the wounds of Jesus. Jesus said… Read More »

There is a scene in the movie Braveheart when the king is in his tower trying to decide what to do when one of his aides makes a suggestion. The king responds, “who is this that presumes to give me advice,” and throws the aide out the window. Something similar is happening with the Prophet Amos.… Read More »

In Montgomery, Alabama there is a Civil Rights Memorial designed by Maya Lin, the same architect who created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Etched into a granite table are the names of those martyred during the Civil Rights era. When you touch the names you realize there is unnoticed water flowing over the table, so calm… Read More »

For the next several weeks the first readings will be taken from the Biblical prophets, beginning with the Prophet Amos. The lion roars– who will not be afraid! The Lord GOD speaks– who will not prophesy! Amos takes an experience from nature, the roar to the lion, as an avenue to understand the presence of God.… Read More »

When you visit Rome the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul are everywhere. The Church there takes great pride that its foundation includes these two pillars of the Faith. In one of the epistles we read something that applies to both apostles: The Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me… Read More »