Jeremiah was a sixth century BC prophet who worked in calamitous times for Judah, ending with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. His message of repentance fell on deaf ears. His strategy was to call the Jewish people back to their first love. Go, cry out this message for Jerusalem to hear! I remember… Read More »

Pope Francis recently raised the liturgical celebration of St. Mary Magdalene to the same status as that of an apostle. She is, after all, called the “apostle to the apostles” since she was the first one to announce the good news of the resurrection on Easter morning.  Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,… Read More »

It is not about biology. It is not about blood. Jesus looks beyond the things that usually divide us to find a more fundamental unity.  “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” When we look at the social unrest characteristic of our age — Black Live Matter,… Read More »

You have been told … what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God. These words from the prophet Micah have been re-worked into a popular hymn by David Haas, “We are called.” Recently accusations of sexual impropriety have been lodged against him.… Read More »

A Parable from Elie Wiesel: When the great Rabbi Baal Shem-Tov saw misfortune threatening the Jews it was his custom to go into a certain part of the forest to meditate. There he would light a sacred fire, say a special prayer, the miracle would be accomplished and the misfortune averted. Later, when his disciple… Read More »

The Romans killed Jesus as a subversive, as someone rebelling against Imperial authority. The Jewish leaders had handed Jesus over to the Romans as a trouble-maker, as someone threatening their way of surviving in a hostile world.  Jesus’ followers knew he was neither of those things. To explain him to non-believers they quoted from the… Read More »

Everyone probably has a sermon or two they remember — but usually not for any profound insight. I remember Fr. Gilbert preaching once: “You can love, love, love until the cows come home but you’ve still got to keep the commandments.” Jesus as a good Jewish boy was very respectful of the commandments (“I have… Read More »

Someone once observed that most people treat God as a hobby — a occupation that you turn to when you are not doing something important. That the spiritual life requires effort and makes demands upon us is shunted to the background. Jesus challenges that view when he says to be his disciples we must take… Read More »

Jesus lifts his voice in prayer in St. Matthew’s gospel in a way that celebrates the relationship of the Father and the Son. During the prayer he says, “You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” The wise and the learned know that you have to… Read More »

Then the LORD said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, [king of Judah], …  and say to him: “Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear.” In the United States the idea of the separation of Church and State is so ingrained we can forget that for most of human history, in almost every… Read More »