Accompanying [Jesus] were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out. The image of Jesus’ chosen companions, beside the twelve, including women continues to challenge the Church today. Do we treat women as equals to the men disciples as… Read More »

“The one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Jesus reverses the way I ordinarily think how things operate as expressed in I Peter 4:8: “love covers a multitude of sins.” From this perspective when we are people of love, the faults, failings, mistakes which characterize our lives are “covered” with the veil of God’s… Read More »

“To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?” If they criticized Jesus you can be sure that they will criticize you!  The problem comes, of course, when we judge one another from our point of view and not see others as they are. When they challenge oru way of… Read More »

 A bishop must be irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled … not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with perfect dignity. Throughout the ages the question of church leadership has adapted according to the times. In the Roman Catholic tradition there haven’t been married bishops… Read More »

When you see a newborn child after cooing over her for a bit you will stick out your pinkie finger. The infant will grasp the finger with her tiny hand. You will say something like, “Look how strong she is.” This first grasp of a baby is not the last. You might think that being… Read More »

A few years ago I contacted a man who had been asked to be a godfather for his nephew. I asked him the required question: are you a practicing Catholic? This was his answer. “I’ll admit to you, Father, that I don’t go to Mass very often. However, I do work one day a week… Read More »

I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance. These words of St. Paul are a chilling reminder that we can do horrific things if we act “out of ignorance.” Of course, the problem is that ignorance implies that you don’t know what you don’t know. I can do harmful things simply because… Read More »

St. Paul said: Put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another. Jesus said:  Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other… Read More »

St. Paul teaches: “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.” There is a whole swathe of people who take this to mean that the Church should only be worried about saying prayers, worshipping correctly and reading the Bible. However, as St. Paul makes clear we are not angels and thinking of… Read More »

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. Jesus names apostles in each of the gospels but only St. Luke stresses the fact that he did so in a context of prayer. No doubt the eveangelist wanted us to notice that our decisions should be made in… Read More »