King Solomon is the theme of the first reading leading up to Ash Wednesday this year. His reputation in the Bible is that he is the great wisdom figure … but he did many stupid things. Everyone is a mixed bag. The story of the visit of the Queen of Sheba is pretty straightforward in… Read More »
FEBRUARY62018
The play, Fiddler on the Roof, begins with a song celebrating tradition. “Because of our traditions each of us knows who he is and what God expects us to do.” The rest of the play is about those traditions going bust. Traditions are necessary on the one hand, but they can be limiting on the other.… Read More »
FEBRUARY42018
. Standing secure on the solid rock of faith happens when we pray. As St. Mark points out in the first chapter of his gospel, even Jesus had to pray. If Jesus who was the Son of God found a need for prayer, how much the more should we make sure that prayer is not… Read More »
FEBRUARY52018
Building the temple was a highlight in the history of Israel. Solomon was able to provide a worthy place in which one could worship God. The feeling of loss at the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. was profound. When the people returned to the Promised Land after the exile the… Read More »
FEBRUARY32018
You hear things like “We’ve got to grow the Church.” Someone cites statistics about the number of Catholics who have “fallen away.” A grandmother complains that her family no longer practices. All of which should make us ask, why is Christianity a missionary religion? Why do we seek to spread the faith? We aren’t just… Read More »
FEBRUARY22018
Receptions after a Polish wedding are great celebrations. Lots of food and drink and dancing. As the wedding reception is ending all of the married women gather around the seated bride. They take off her wedding veil and put on her head a babushka to signify her status now as a married woman. Then they… Read More »
FEBRUARY12018
From the beginning of his ministry Jesus sent out his disciples to spread the message of Good News — a reminder that the point of being Church is not so much about getting people in but in sending them out. The mission that we have as modern day apostles is the same as the original… Read More »
JANUARY312018
You are going to be criticized. After all, if they criticized Jesus they certainly are going to criticize you. And the critiques will come from those closest to you. It was Jesus’ relatives and friends who “took offense at him.” At Thanksgiving one of the national magazines offered some suggestions on topics to avoid in… Read More »
JANUARY302018
In Mark 5 there is a dramatic scene: Jesus performs two miracles, his power is manifest, there is the manifestation of faith and conflict with the crowds. Amidst all this drama one very human moment stands out when the little girl is revived: Jesus “said that she should be given something to eat.” There is a… Read More »
JANUARY292018
The strange scene where Jesus healed the possessed man and drove the demons into the swine needs to be understood in its context. The Gerasene territory was on the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, that is, in Gentile territory. Any Jewish people who lived there would have somewhat fallen away from traditional practice… Read More »
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