The angels are mentioned frequently in the Bible. They serve as a reminder that God is at work in the world in ways beyond our ken. The word angel means “messenger” and we know about angels because they bring “the good news” of God’s presence and action. Since the word angel describes their function and… Read More »

A folk song, “Turn, Turn, Turn,” popularized the theme from the book of Ecclesiastes that “there is a time for every purpose under heaven.” People instinctively relate to that. We understand that there is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to mourn and a time to dance. The challenge… Read More »

The Book of Ecclesiastes was written around the year 300B.C. It reflects the reality of the Chosen People on the return from exile. With no nation, no king, and a sadly diminished temple the people seem to have lost their sense of common identity, their feeling of belonging to something larger than themselves. The author… Read More »

Jesus sent the twelve out. The missionary impulse was not part of the Jewish experience. There were proselytes, converts to Judaism, but the inquirers had to find Jews. Jesus sent the twelve to seek out and to find the “lost sheep.” Jesus got this model not from his heritage but his relationship with God. God… Read More »

In the Bible certain Biblical authors tend to stress coming to faith and others stress living out that faith. Jesus does not see these as two different things but as two aspects of a life in God. He proclaims that genuine followers are “those who hear the word of God and act on it.” Faith and… Read More »

In modern times candles have many different uses. They can still provide illumination, for example when the power goes out. But more often they are used in ceremonies (birthday cakes!), for religious purposes such as vigil lights, to warm a chaffing dish, to provide scented air, and even to set a romantic tone. When Jesus… Read More »

You know things are in bad shape in the Church when the story of Jesus “taking a child and putting his arms around it” gives you pause. Of course, bad news isn’t limited to the Church.  There’s the seemingly endless war in the Middle East.  25,000 children die of hunger and disease every day. We… Read More »

Jesus was from an agricultural nation. Many of his images involved farmers. The parable of the sower and the seed no doubt came from his experience. St. Paul was much more of an urbanite but he picked up farming images from the culture. For example when he speaks of the resurrection of the dead he… Read More »

“While Matthew was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.” Matthew’s response to the call of Jesus was to throw a party and invite his friends — who were a disreputable lot. You can see in that the beginnings of Matthew’s apostolic vocation: calling… Read More »

In all of his letters, St. Paul is very insistent on his prerogatives as an apostle. His experience of Jesus, his encounter with God, validated his role in the early church even though he “was not fit to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God.” However, his personal religious experience was… Read More »