Jesus' says "ask and you shall receive." But if we don't listen in prayer, we won't know what to ask for. Here are tips for using the inspired prayers called Psalms as guides to praying effectively....
Zacchaeus (a.k.a Zaccheus) was an especially successful tax collector and therefore an exceptionally hated man. On the road to Jericho, from the limb of a Sycamore tree, this blood-sucking vampire caught a glimpse of mercy and grace and had to make a choice....
The Bible stories of Namaan the Syrian and Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers shows us that gratidue is an obligation of justice. To remember the source of our blessings and to give thanks is exactly why some countries, like the USA and Canada, dedicate...
The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (aka tax collector) in Luke 18 teaches us a lot about pride, humility and . . . insanity. It even gives us insight into one of the principal battle cries of the Protestant Reformation -- "sola...
Will there be marriage in heaven? Jesus' answer to the Sadducees about the widow with seven deceased husbands needs to be understood in light of some important truths about the resurrection and the hereafter....
St. Bede the Venerable on the call of Matthew, Tax Collector turned disciple, apostle & evangelist. Matthew, originally called Levi, was, as a publican, excommunicated from the life of the synagogue and shunned in Jewish society....
Stewardship . . . what does this term really mean? The parable of the dishonest steward in Luke 16 argues against the divorce between God and everyday life. Though it is idolatry to serve money, it is very important to serve God by the way...
Luke, chapter 16, tells the story of the Rich man and the Beggar, Dives and Lazarus. It shows how some choices we make lead to addictions that can determine our eternal destiny. Gluttony, one of the 7 Deadly Sins, is a poison that has an...
We so often condemn the Pharisees that we totally miss a sneaky way that we are often like them. The hard saying of Jesus "if you hand causes you to sin, cut it off" is a kind of shock therapy to wake us up...
Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son and Israel's worship of the Golden Calf at the foot of Mt. Sinai are some of the best known of all Bible stories. The connection? Maybe they both reveal much about the nature of sin, grace ....