When the people of Judah and Jerusalem were thinking about what they wanted from their religion they listed “instruction from the priests, counsel from the wise, messages from the prophets.” They didn’t feel Jeremiah provided those things so they would be free to get rid of him. The problem with this understanding is that it… Read More »

Isaiah begins his book by invoking Sodom and Gomorrah, the proverbial sin cities of the Old Testament. Their sins were like scarlet, they were crimson red. But when the prophet lists the sins they are not the ones that we expect. There is not even one mention of sexual transgressions. Instead Isaiah says, “Wash yourselves… Read More »

“Stop judging and you will not be judged.” Or as we might say nowadays, cut me some slack. It is impossible for us to know what another is going through, why they did what they did. We cannot judge their hearts. We can. however, judge their actions. We can say that this, that or the… Read More »

In the Bible, the phrase, “do not fear” appears 57 times and “do not be afraid” 46 times. I guess the Bible knows that we live in a scary world. We’re afraid about the world our children and grandchildren will grow up in. We’re afraid about what the doctor is going to tell us. We’re… Read More »

If you are from a large family at some point you probably accused your mother of having a favorite. “But I love all my children,” she no doubt responded. True, but since each child is different a mother must love each child in the unique way they need. Which helps us understand that the Jewish… Read More »

“The Lord’s way is not fair.” Every child has issued a similar complaint against their parents. What the prophet Ezekiel, and eventually Jesus, want us to understand is that God’s ways transcend our limited understanding of fairness. Take, for example, the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says we need “surpassing” holiness. One implication of… Read More »

“For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Jesus states positively that God always hears us when we call. But remember Gethsemane. Jesus asked “that this cup be taken from me.” The Letter to the Hebrews states in commenting on this… Read More »

Jesus said, “This generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” The story of Jonah is a story of repentance, of conversion, of a change of life. That sign people of the twenty-first century need to see as well. How important to remember that the Church itself… Read More »

I remember the boys giving Sister Sirnan a hard time. She was teaching us the catechism and told us that God was omnipotent: “God can do anything.” “Can God make a rock he can’t lift? Can God make a square circle?” Needless to say, Sister Sirnan was not pleased with us. It turns out that… Read More »

“Whatsoever you do to the least, that you do unto me.” Jesus is, of course, a brother to us all but he claims a particular kinship with “the least,” with those who are suffering and hurting. Our normal tendency is to relate in a more personal way with those who are like us, part of… Read More »