Readings for October 26, 2014: 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time They are at it again. In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus’ opponents enlist a lawyer to do what lawyers do best- ask a question that puts a person on the hot…
The Radical Rabbi and the Great Commandment
Render to Caesar
Readings for October 19, 2014: 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time Despite their flattering words, they were trying to trap him, to force him into a no win situation. Consider the circumstances. They are living under the iron boot of a…
The Sneakiest of the Deadly Sins
Readings for October 12, 2014: 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time At age 16, life was about rock ‘n roll. If my own band was not performing on Saturday night, I was out in the audience, watching another band. It would…
Peace and Security
Readings for October 5, 2014: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time A few years ago, I toured northern England. There, stretching 73 miles from coast to coast, the Roman Emperor Hadrian built a massive wall. Constructed of stone, it was built…
Talk vs. Action
Readings for September 28, 2014: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Tim There will never be a shortage of words. Words are plentiful because talk is cheap. It’s easy to make a promise. Keeping a promise is an entirely different matter, as…
The Generosity of God
Readings for September 21, 2014: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time “But that’s not fair!” Most parents have heard this phrase umpteen times. The notion of fairness, also known as justice, is wired into us. It makes us aware that each…
The Exaltation of the Cross
Readings for September 14, 2014: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Terrorism is nothing new. It’s probably as old as the human race. In fact the cradle of civilization, now Iraq, was the home of the most infamous…
Admonish the Sinner: Not an Option
Readings for September 7, 2014: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time I used to think that God’s law was like those dumb rules we had to put up with in grammar school, like “Thou shalt not chew gum in class.” They…
Peter as Satan
Readings for August 31, 2014: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Truth in advertising–after all the glowing reports of the benefits of a product, potential side effects need to be mentioned. Informed consent–before surgery, patients have to be told of all…
Peter and the Keys
Readings for August 24, 2014: 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time “More Catholic than the Pope.” There is nothing more quintessentially Catholic than the Papacy. When we think “Catholic,” we think Rome, the Vatican, the dome of St. Peter’s. But the…