To this very day the idea of “the land” plays a vital role in Jewish identity. When the people of God were in exile away from their homeland  it was the dream of returning which gave them hope. The prophets fed that hope: I will take the children of Israel from among the nations to… Read More »

When I was a young seminarian working in a mission parish one summer, an older brother paid me a high compliment. “Brother John, I don’t know if you are a good religious, but you are a good Christian.” I took that to mean that my actions were modeled on the teaching and example of Jesus.… Read More »

One of the glories of Catholic devotion is the communion of the saints. Our ancestors have not gone from us, just gone ahead of us. They remain with us by praying for us and praying with us. They offer us support and provide guidance. Even Jesus rejoiced the saints who were still with him. He… Read More »

Back in the day, I had a poster with the saying of Jesus: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” At the bottom of the poster was a addendum: “but first, it will make you miserable.” The truth is that we are children of God, made in God’s image and… Read More »

The campus ministry staff at LSU, after working for several years together, was called in by the bishop and all of us were dismissed. He was going ‘in a different direction.’ At the time I was crushed. I loved working with the college students. But I soon realized that new opportunities were, in fact, a… Read More »

In the Gospel of John Jesus gives us several dramatic images to help us understand who he is and the role he plays in our life: “I am the bread of life, the good shepherd, the true vine.” In John 8 we read: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not… Read More »

Jesus had a pastoral practice different from the way I was taught. As a confessor, I was trained to see if the penitent had a “firm purpose of amendment.” In other words, before giving absolution there should be some evidence that the person is sorry for what they did and resolved not to do it… Read More »

St. John has a way of making seeming throw away asides serve as commentary on the event described. For example, when Judas leaves the table at the Last Supper on his way to betrayal St. John writes. “It was night” (John 13:30). He is not pointing out the time of day but the state of… Read More »

The movie, Good Will Hunting, the main character, Will, is a brilliant but troubled young man. He is in therapy to help him adjust better to life. He tells his therapist all of the abuse and suffering and trouble that characterized his life. The climax of the movie happens when the therapist, having build up… Read More »

In a recent interview a member of the administration was asked if some of their actions didn’t violate the vision of the founding fathers. His answer: those men lived 250 years ago and we are in a new situation today. Why should we listen to them? That is a particularly modern and American response. In… Read More »