Jesus told us that God is God not “of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” As we come to the end of the month of November, the time to remember our beloved departed, that reminder provides consolation. Life is not merely a biological fact, a certain combination of chemicals and… Read More »

The books of the Maccabees are not included in the Hebrew Bible. However, the story of the Maccabees is well remembered. Brave men and women, zealous for the law, revolted against those who would destroy their religion. The culmination of this revolutionary movement was the re-taking of the temple and then rededicating it for its… Read More »

There are certain basics in the spiritual life, elements that must be present for a genuine relationship with God. Gratitude is one of them for when we give thanks we are putting the focus where it should be — off of us and onto God. The story of Jesus curing the ten lepers illustrates this… Read More »

St. Luke’s version of the “parable of the talents” uses gold coins to talk about the property to be invested.  We usually look at this story from the point of view of those who received the money invested. What shifts when we see things from the viewpoint of the investor? Making an investment is really… Read More »

The books of the Maccabees describes a time of great trial in Israel. The Greek conquerors tried to impose a common religion on their realm and there was violent resistance from the Jewish people. Eventually they won their independence but there was terrible suffering during the war. There are many stories in the books about… Read More »

You can hear the compassion behind the words of Jesus to the blind man: “What do you want me to do for you?” But I wonder if Jesus was just a tad disappointed that the blind man replied:  “Lord, please let me see.” It seems too little a request in one sense. Imagine how you would… Read More »

It is perhaps a little unfortunate that the English word “talent” means a particular ability or aptitude.  We would say, for example, Michael Jordan had a talent for basketball.  The choir has a talent for music.  Politicians have a talent for… what do politicians have a talent for?  In the story as Jesus tells it,… Read More »

The Book of Wisdom was written in the decades before the birth of Jesus. While lamenting the lack of wisdom in his/her own time, the author cast a nostalgic eye back to the “good old days.” We read, for example, that when the Hebrew children entered the land of Canaan after passing through the Red… Read More »

My first spiritual director used to impress on me the importance of “purity of intention.” I wasn’t exactly sure what he was driving at. But the inkling of an answer dawns when I hear Jesus describe that at the coming of the Son of Man “one will be taken, the other left.” It seems that… Read More »

It is surprising that the curiosity of the pharisees about “when the Kingdom of God would come” continues unabated today despite Jesus’ teaching that such speculation was not helpful. Well, maybe not that surprising since everyone would like to know what’s going to happen in the future. I would like to know the lottery numbers… Read More »