It is just a coincidence that the word “talent” in the Bible, referring to a large sum of money, means something different in common English usage. Or maybe, in fact, it is a providence — a God given opportunity to look at the “parable of the talents” with fresh eyes. God has gifted each of… Read More »

When St. Paul went to Athens he apparently decided to show his stuff. He was smart, he was educated, he knew rhetoric as well as anyone. According to the Acts of the Apostles he made a brilliant presentation — but failed to move hearts toward conversion. His first letter to the Corinthians suggests that after… Read More »

The Church in Corinth was St. Paul’s problem child — but you do love your problem child, yes! Besides the two letters to that community there is evidence of, at least, two others. Corinth was a crossroads city, a melting pot. Apparently St. Paul felt that the city needed Christianity in a particular way. The… Read More »

Being an apostle is a big deal. In our creeds we confess that we are an “apostolic” church. We read in the Book of Revelation: “The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.” The apostles are… Read More »

St. Paul wrote two letters to the church in Thessalonica. It seems that there was a great deal of upset in that community because of speculation about the Second Coming of Jesus (the first century equivalent of Left Behind.) St. Paul urges them to stop fretting about tomorrow and live in the present tense. Don’t… Read More »

At the beginning of St. Paul’s second letter to the church in Thessalonica he writes, as was his custom, “We always pray for you.” The idea of praying for one another can almost feel like a cliche. We often say the words too glibly. However, I remember when my mother died how consoling it was… Read More »

I asked a student once why he chose to study math. “Because there is only one right answer,” he responded. If people back in the day liked sure answers than Jesus must have driven them nuts. Have you noticed that Jesus very seldom gives a straight answer to a question? He tells a story, uses… Read More »

Jesus warns us about certain religious leaders: “do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.” St. Francis of Assisi is supposed to have said: Preach at all times. If absolutely necessary, use words. Pope Paul VI in his must read 1975 document, Evangelii Nuntiandi said something similar: “Modern man listens… Read More »

Everyone who takes the spiritual life seriously can relate to the image that the prophet Ezekiel proposes of “dry bones.” Often in prayer we go through periods of “dry bones” where we get no consolations despite our best efforts. Even St. Teresa of Kolkata talked about years of dryness in her diary. The prophet sees… Read More »

The prophet Ezekiel is a key figure in the Biblical understanding of God. The tradition until his time had been that the chosen people knew they were God’s people because they were given the promised land, because they had been established as a royal nation, because of God’s presence in the temple, because God preserved… Read More »