Our first reaction must be: “I do not want my face to fall like the face of the rich, young man. I do not want to walk away from Jesus. I do not want to be sad (cf. Mark 10:21-22). Now, to say the same thing in a positive form we would say: “I want...
If this parable (Luke 12:13-21) does not give us pause, I cannot think of anything else that will. And this is clearly a matter of life and death; eternal life or eternal death, that is! What shall we do to avoid being called “fool” by the Lord and...
Undoubtedly, these thirteen verses from the Gospel of Luke (16:1-13)must be the most controversial parable in the whole Gospel. Well, it is so only to us Westerners, since our culture and our upbringing are keen on integrity and honesty and thus we...
Woody Allen once said: “It is not that I’m afraid of death. It is that I would rather not be there when it happens.” On this 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time, our three readings deal with death and dying: For what profit comes to man from all the toil...
“I came so that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) These words spoken by Jesus in the Gospel of John are very familiar and very beautiful. The abundant life that Jesus offers sounds very attractive, but this abundant...
Speaking as a believer, I think that one of the saddest sights must be an old miser alone, living scantily and meagerly while counting his piles of money in secret. In the Gospel of Luke (12:13-21), we see a man whose father has just died, and who...
The constant turmoil on Wall Street is an apt subject for personal meditation. It should give most Americans pause to think seriously about their financial and material situations. This kind of meditation is sure to include a consideration of the...
You and I are engaged in a common struggle, a struggle against complacency. The struggle is between two spirits, one good; the other evil — spirits that roam about deep within us, below the level of our consciousness. One is the spirit of...