Judea was eventually crushed. The Babylonians conquered the nation and took the people into exile. You can only imagine the crisis of faith this caused. God had promised Abraham a land. The land was taken from them. David had won for them a nation. The nation was destroyed. Solomon had built a temple where they… Read More »

After the disaster of the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel and the near disaster of Sennacherib’s invasion of Judea, the Jewish people entered into a program of reform. Led by King Josiah and inspired by the “discovery” of a book of the law (Deuteronomy?) the nation sought to change its ways to conform… Read More »

The siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian army is an event we know through both Biblical and non-Biblical sources. Both agree about one thing — that Jerusalem was not captured. “Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, broke camp, and went back home to Nineveh.” Where they differ is why this was so. The author of the… Read More »

In the year 721 B.C. the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel. The people were deported and scattered among many nations. These deportees are remembered as “the ten lost tribes of Israel.” The historical situation caused profound soul searching on the part of the Jewish people. Why did God not protect them? Weren’t… Read More »

There is a special providence, given the current political turmoil, that the Church this day asks us to reflect on the birth of a child. Instead of thinking in terms of national policy, this feast, the nativity of St. John the Baptist, provides the occasion to examine how important a child is from God’s point… Read More »

Jesus did not leave us a list like the Ten Commandments of “dos” and “don’ts.” However, there are scattered throughout the gospels commands that the Lord did leave. They can come as a surprise. For example, we find one of the commandments of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take… Read More »

“Store up treasures in heaven.” I took these words of Jesus literally when I was younger and tried to do the things — rosaries, litanies, novenas, etc. — that would give me spiritual “treasure.” Having such spiritual treasure would enable me to buy my way into heaven or so it seemed. The more practices I… Read More »

When we think of God we notice God’s creative or saving power. But the Bible teaches us that one of things God does best is forgive. God never gives up on the chosen people but again and again calls them back to fidelity. When Jesus taught us the Lord’s prayer he reminded us that God… Read More »