Readings for August 17, 2014: 20th Sunday of Ordinary Time The apostles thought she was a nuisance and asked Jesus to get rid of her. Jesus had gone to the region of Tyre and Sidon, modern-day Lebanon, and a local…
The Canaanite Woman
Walking on Water
Readings for August 10, 2014: 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time One of the most famous stories of the New Testament is the one about Jesus walking on the water. If there is any gospel story we never tire of hearing,…
The Miracle of the Loaves
Readings for August 3, 2014: 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Only one miracle of Jesus is recorded in all four gospels–the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. I once heard a homilist give what he said was the real meaning…
The Wheat and the Tares
Readings for July 20, 2014: 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time At one time or another, we’ve all dreamed of a perfect world. Imagine a company where everyone is productive, a government full of honest politicians, a church where all are…
The Two Messages of the Parable of the Sower and the Seed
Readings for July 13, 2014: 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time I’ve always loved gardening. Seeds I’ve planted include carrot, cucumber, and of course, zucchini. In each case, I’ve planted seeds in neat rows, expecting nearly all of them to sprout…
The Secret of the Light Yoke
Readings for July 6, 2014: 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time I once knew a woman who called herself “a recovering Catholic.” It seems that, as a child, she was taught a religion that was all about guilt. Impossible demands were…
The Fourth of July and a Revolutionary Approach to the Bible
In the days when states were still “the colonies” and men wore powdered wigs, a new way of thinking captured the intelligentsia of the western world. “The miracle stories in the Bible and the lives of the saints may be…
You Mean Life’s NOT All About Me?
Readings for June 29, 2014: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles “Self” Magazine is certainly a sign of the times. This is an age when it is socially acceptable to admit that life is all about me. But selfishness…
The Body of Christ?
Readings for June 22, 2014: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) The Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation, namely, that in the Eucharist, the communion wafer and the altar wine are transformed and…
Why Call God “Father?”
This June not only the USA but 55 other countries around the world will honor the roles fathers play in the family and the community. This modern secular holiday invites us to ask a very important question – what does…