The ancient Greeks loved games. We hold Olympic Games begun by the Greeks even in modern times. In Greece, in the years before and after the Olympics, the Isthmian Games were held at the Isthmus of Corinth. Corinth was, therefore, a great spot for a tent maker like St. Paul. In pre-Holiday Inn times having… Read More »

Both St. Matthew and St. Luke include a long sermon by Jesus on the new way of behavior for those who would be his followers. Matthew says the sermon was given “on the Mount” and Luke “on level ground.” Jesus challenges our ordinary way of operating in American society. Ten years or so ago the… Read More »

It can be very instructive to examine how the different gospel writers tell the story of Jesus. Since the gospels were not written until fifty or so years after the events themselves, the Church had to remember what Jesus said and did. The evangelist then would shape those memories into a narrative. For example, both… Read More »

Today the Church celebrates the birthday of Mary. This is not a biblical feast — there is nothing in the Bible about Mary’s birth — but a popular book of the second century, the protoevangelium of James, talks about the circumstances surrounding her birth. How much of that story is legend and how much fact… Read More »

When St. Paul sees an example of immorality in the Corinthian community he reacts. “The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst.” His reaction seems to be not so much about the deed itself but the way the community handled what must have been a delicate situation. He accuses them of… Read More »

Whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. St.Augustine commenting on this passage from the Epistle to the Romans says, if you have true love you can do… Read More »

There is a temptation in Christianity to assume that receiving some blessing is a sign of God’s favor — and, conversely, that if you are having difficulty God must be displeased. We can see this tendency, for example, in the Pilgrims in seventeenth century New England and in the the 20th century prosperity gospel. St.… Read More »

One of the commandments of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount: “Stop Judging,” or to put it in commandment form “thou shalt not judge.” St. Paul provides some commenatary on that commandment in the epistle to the Corinthians:  Do not make any judgment before the appointed time,until the Lord comes, for he will bring… Read More »

Pope St. John Paul II wrote an encyclical to welcome what he called the third Christian millennium in the year 2000. He based the reflection on the story of the miraculous catch of fish in St. Luke’s gospel. He centered in on the words of Jesus: “Put out into deep water.” Peter was discouraged, he… Read More »

We read in St. Luke’s gospel when Jesus began his ministry he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. Not exactly. Luke was not a Jew and apparently was not that totally familiar with Jewish history and geography. After the death of King Herod the Roman province of Judaea was divided in 6AD among his… Read More »