Are things getting better or are things getting worse? On the one hand the rich keep getting richer and the poor poorer. On the other hand, the number of people living in what economists call absolute poverty has dropped from 44% in 1980 to 10% today. On the one hand the potential death and destruction… Read More »

The Letter to the Hebrews provides a definition of faith: “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” Contrast that understanding of faith with the story of the Transfiguration in St. Mark’s Gospel. There instead of faith the chosen apostles are given sight, are given the fulfillment of… Read More »

Yesterday St. Mark’s version of the conversation between Jesus and Peter at Caesarea Philippi ended with the Lord telling the apostle, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking as God thinks.” In St. Matthew’s telling the highlight of the scene is Jesus saying to Peter, You are the Rock “and upon this rock I… Read More »

St. Mark carefully composed the 8th chapter. He begins with Jesus chiding the disciples for missing what he is all about. “You have eyes, and yet do not see!” Then there is a gradual cure of a blind man which serves as a metaphor for the gradual coming to faith that is genuine discipleship. Finally… Read More »

Chapter 8 of St. Mark’s gospel is the “hinge” around which the story turns. It begins with Jesus being frustrated with the disciples. “You have eyes, but you do not yet see!” They weren’t getting what he was about. In the next scene there is a miraculous cure of a man recovering his sight. Certainly… Read More »

Even Jesus got discouraged when the disciples didn’t get it. “Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?” And Noah saw God throw up the divine hands at how creation turned out. God “regretted that he had made man on the… Read More »

Cain’s question to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is a perennial one. Jesus had to deal with it as well when his blood relatives wanted to make a claim on him. His answer was expansive — everyone out there can be a brother and sister and mother to me, he said. The challenge that… Read More »

A book written by Norman Vincent Peale entitled The Power of Positive Thinking has sold more than five million copies. The Mayo clinic has found that some studies show that positive thinking is associated with many health benefits. Diana is working at her school on a play, Spamalot, which has as its theme song: “Always look… Read More »

When God confronted Adam and Eve after their disobedience they tried to shift the blame. “The man replied, ‘The woman whom you put here with me she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.’” Eve blamed the snake. And if the snake had any fingers to point at someone else no doubt… Read More »

In one sense we can blame God for the temptation of Eve. God made our hearts “restless” as St. Augustine put it. So even though she seemed to have everything — a suitable helpmeet, a garden of delights, and good enough weather to go around naked! — her restless heart asked “is that all there… Read More »