One modern genre of fiction is time travel.  The idea: wouldn’t it be great if we could go into the past and see why things happened the way they did or go into the future to see what will be? How about going back in time to meet Jesus! The Bible would dismiss this notion… Read More »

Any pastor cringes a bit when he hears Jesus’ words when he drove out those who were “selling things in the temple area:” “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer.” The realities of running a modern parish requires attention to the raising and prudent use of money. While this is necessary and can be… Read More »

For Catholics, giving thanks is at the heart of our worship of God.  The word Eucharist, which is the term for our worship service, is a Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.”  In other words, we are a thanksgiving people.  We have to give thanks because we have a God who has given us the sun to… Read More »

The Book of Revelation is written during a time of persecution — probably the persecution under the Emperor Domitian about the year 85AD or maybe during the persecution of Trajan after 100AD. The intention of the author, John the Seer, is to encourage Christians in the time of trial. He offers a glorious vision of… Read More »

For the next two weeks leading to the season of Advent the readings will be taken from the Book of Revelation. This style of writing, called apocalyptic literature, is not familiar to us. The closest analogy would be science fiction. Science fiction is not really about Jabba the Hutt or Jedi Knights. The author uses… Read More »

In the Book of Revelation the Spirit addresses the Church at Ephesus: “I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.” That experience of losing “first love” is common in humanity. The walking on cloud nine newly married couple quickly settle into a comfortable accommodation with one another. The zealous… Read More »

Mrs. Goldbloom took her seat on the plane next to Swen Swensen, six-foot two, blond, blue-eyed.  After staring at him for a while she asked, “Pardon me, are you Jewish?”  He said, “No.”  A few minutes later she turned to him again, “You can tell me, you know — you are Jewish, aren’t you?”  He… Read More »

In the New Testament we find a Gospel according to John, three epistles ascribed to John and the Book of Revelation whose author is named John. Together these books are known as the Johannine literature and have a plea for unity as a common theme underlying them all. Even in the earliest days of the… Read More »

A few years ago in the ecumenical movement there was a saying “doctrine divides but service unites.” The idea was that instead of debating points of belief the churches should concentrate on caring for those in need. Not a bad idea but the author of the second epistle of St. John might offer a caution… Read More »

Philemon has a problem. Paul sent back his runaway slave, Onesimus, with an admonition that, since Onesimus is now a Christian, Philemon should treat him “no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother.” Thus the problem: if Philemon accedes to Paul’s request in this one instance, all of his slaves will… Read More »