James and John told Jesus: “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” It reminds me of my little brother who would go to my mother and say, “Don’t say me ‘no.’” The statement presumes that what I want is (obviously!) the best. As Jesus had just talked about his coming… Read More »

A famous prayer by St. Ignatius begins: “Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, understanding, my entire will.” The saint wants us to understand that if we have God, we have all we need. I see the beauty of the prayer but must confess that I do cling to my memory, understanding and will.… Read More »

The scene in St. Mark’s gospel where Jesus objected to being called “good”  must have bothered Matthew because he changed the dialogue. In Mark: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.” If anyone deserved to be called good it was Jesus! As the scene unfolds you come to understand… Read More »

There is a scene in The Color Purple where Shug and Celie are talking. Celie complains, “The God I been praying and writing to is a man. And act like all the other mens I know. Trifling, forgetful and lowdown. Shug say, Miss Celie. You better hush. God might hear you.Let him her me, I… Read More »

Unlike an adult, a child on Christmas morning never thinks “oh no, they gave me a present and I didn’t get one for them” or “this is too much. What did I do to deserve this.” No, on Christmas morning a child is simply delighted to be given gifts. That helps illustrate the saying of… Read More »

The epistle of James holds up as an idea “the perseverance of Job.” This is a better translation of the Greek than the traditional “patience of Job.” Patience is somewhat passive — you have to be patient when a bus is coming. There is nothing you can do but wait for it to come. Perseverance… Read More »

Rick Warren is founding pastor of one of the first mega-churches, Saddleback in Orange County, California. He talks about the fact that even though he has several graduate degrees in theology never in his education were the thousands of Bible verses which deal with issues of social justice and caring for the poor discussed. For… Read More »

We’ve all heard the expressions: “How do you make God laugh? Tell God your plans.” Or as the Imitation of Christ put it: “Man proposes and God disposes.” One of the Biblical antecedents to these sentiments is found in the epistle of St. James. We read there:  “You should say, ‘If the Lord wills it, we… Read More »

A few years ago there was a movie called The Gods Must Be Crazy. It begins in a small village in Africa. The people are poor but they work together in mutual support. One day a single engine plane flying overhead drops an empty coke bottle that falls into the village. Pretty soon the villagers are… Read More »

 There is a most poignant conversation between Jesus and the father of the epileptic boy in Mark’s Gospel. When the father asked for a cure Jesus said to him, “All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Isn’t that our story as… Read More »