Jesus and the Children
Today’s Gospel carries two very important messages: one about marriage, the other about bringing children to the Lord. Now, there is much to say about either subject. But if I write about marriage, this...
Taking Sin Seriously
Calvin Coolidge was known as a man of few words. When he returned home from Sunday services one morning, his wife asked him what the preacher had talked about. “Sin,” he replied. “What did...
Be Who You Are
Today’s Gospel story reminds me of a cherished (now) memory from my adolescence. The apostles arguing about who was the greatest among them brought the incident and a lesson to mind. When my sister,...
Getting to Know Jesus
When we are first introduced to someone, we learn a name, what he or she does, where he or she lives, about family, children, etc. But do we really know whom we’ve met? Not...
The Gift of Hearing
Several years ago the Washington Post conducted an experiment in which a world-renowned violinist, Joshua Bell, was commissioned to play his $4,000,000 Stradivarius violin in a subway station in Washington D.C. He dressed himself...
Creeds or Deeds
This week, we return to Mark’s Gospel. The title above summarizes the familiar story. Which would you prefer for a next-door neighbor: a person of excellent habits or a person with a good heart?...
Time for Us
Each of the four Gospel writers has his own distinctive style and emphasis, and each wrote for a particular audience. Mark, whom we read this liturgical year, wrote primarily for non-Jewish Christians. His emphasis...
Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
Our scripture readings for today all have to do with the life of St. John the Baptist whose Nativity we celebrate today. It would seem he led a strange and solitary life. He was...
Planting, Growing, Pruning
There are mysteries in nature that cannot be explained. We don’t know how gravity works, for example, but we know that it does, and we count on it. We also know that when a...
All in the Family
In today’s Gospel, Jesus is being accused of driving out demons and because He’s allegedly in league with evil. That is outrageous, because when evil (the devil) battles evil, only the devil wins. In...
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