Decades ago, a familiar sign held by bold believers at major sports events, simply read “John 3:16.” For those unfamiliar with the Bible, it refers to these words: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who...
In my family, annual vacations have always been a priority. Looking back, all have brought grace-filled moments and, given that there are six of us, always a tussle or two. But, despite the latter, I can’t think of one that I’ve wished we’d never...
On this 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our Gospel passage and second reading have a few powerful sentences with which we are familiar, yet they might have lost their edge precisely because we heard them so many times before. Hence, by now, they might...
In the Gospel passage for the Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, why does Jesus describe flaws of some teachers as being attitudes that their pupils, in all ages, must avoid at all costs? It is because, at a mere human level, fully trained disciples...
An important 19th century preacher and religious leader named Henry Ward Beecher was famous for his eloquent oratory and his powerful opposition to slavery, and his words and example carried great influence in American society. As a boy, he...
In the Gospel of Luke (14:25-33), great crowds were traveling with Jesus. Let this be the starting point of our reflection. Due to a number of reasons, those great crowds have been reduced considerably over the centuries and, as it is painfully...
The Bible offers to us believers a very accurate and rich list of the components that make up a human being. To the traditional dual components of body and soul, (the body being physical and the soul spiritual), the Bible adds mind and heart, spirit...
In the Gospel of Matthew (16:21-27), Jesus rebukes Peter saying, “Get behind me Satan!” The New American Bible translates that line as “Get out of my sight, you Satan!” This is one of the strongest rebukes by Jesus found in the New Testament. And I...
