Although we don’t live in a kingdom, books and movies have given us some ideas of what kings and kingdoms are like. But those ideas are stood on their head on this particular feast day. What a strange sort of king we honor when we proclaim Christ to be our king. Instead of a lofty… Read More »

This week we remembered Cardinal Bernardine on the twentieth anniversary of his death. Part of his legacy that continues to echo in the Church is his “seamless garment” approach to issues of life. He reminded Catholics that issues relating to life are not limited to life in the womb but include anything that promotes human… Read More »

The money changers had legitimate business in the temple area. People would come to the temple to make an offering. However, the Roman coins had the image of Caesar on them and custom forbade a “graven image” in the temple area. The money changers were there to exchange a Roman coin for a “non-graven-image” Jewish… Read More »

John the Seer wept in the book of Revelation. “I shed many tears because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to examine it.” Jesus wept over the Holy City. “As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it.” We can conclude that not all tears are bad,… Read More »

The book of Revelation needs to be read with the intention of the author clearly in mind. John the Seer was providing a message of salvation not a preview of coming events. For example, we need to understand the meaning behind the text: “Surrounding the throne I saw twenty-four other thrones on which twenty-four elders… Read More »

There is a famous nineteenth century painting by William Holman Hunt entited The Light of the World. The painting is the artist’s depiction of a passage in the Book of Revelation.“‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine… Read More »

The Church ends the liturgical year by thinking about the future God has in store for us. The book of Revelation provides a Biblical perspective on the end times. The book begins with a series of “letters to the churches.” The author praises and chides the churches about the way they are living the gospel.… Read More »

The election is over. The ending was just as bizarre as the whole process. One of the most bizarre things of all was a candidate sputtering to answer if she thought that the Republican nominee was a good role model. Duh. Good role model? Maybe instead of politicians – or athletes or entertainers — we… Read More »

The results of the election after the recent political campaign seemed to affirm its divisive, hateful, ugly rhetoric. Many people, myself included, find this very discouraging. We had hoped that our country was moving toward a more equitable, just and peaceful society. The election said, not so fast. The advice of Jesus is particularly timely… Read More »

I get a strange sort of consolation when I read the Bible and find in there evidence of the tensions and divisions that existed in the earliest days of the Church. It serves as a reminder that from the very beginning Christians have relied on the grace of God to help them overcome differences. There… Read More »