Jesus' call to enter through the narrow door seems to conflict with the idea that God wants all to be saved, that the universal, Catholic Church means "here comes everybody." But a deeper look resolves the inconsistency....
The story of the rich man in Luke 12 who gloats over his bumper harvest brings up a good question - is money and success evil? Augustine, following Paul, says it's not money but the love of money that's the problem....
The Lord's Prayer, commonly known as the "Our Father," is known said so often that we can forget how extraordinary it is to call the Creator of the Universe "Abba." "Thy Kingdom Come" means that we pray for his will, not ours....
The famous parable of the Good Samaritan shows that mercy and compassion are not always convenient, and that love of neighbor can't be limited to those like us...
The story of the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany raises questions about hospitality, service, prayer, action and contemplation. First of all, does Jesus love some people, like Mary, Mary, and Lazarus, more than others? If so,...
The story of the Prodigal or wasteful Son is more about the extravagant, loving Father. This story makes clear that God is not a raging tyrant who demands that must be appeased through the suffering of his Son, but rather that the extravagant love...
This post examines the relationship between the transfiguration and the passion of Christ, between Mount Tabor and Calvary. It also asks the question of of whether God the Father ever abandoned Jesus on the Cross. Helpful reading either for the Feast of the...
Is Lent about fasting or feasting? Maybe the two are related, says this commentary on the story of the barren fig tree from the gospel of Luke chapter 13. Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. Three inter-related fertilizers which help barren fig trees bear fruit....
The Beatitudes appear in the gospels of Matthew and Luke as part of the Sermon on the Mount. But what actually is the nature of true happiness? Must we be miserable in this world to be happy in the next? Faith and hope...
12 minute podcast that describes the lifestyle of the Holy Family in Nazareth during the "hidden years" before Jesus launched his public ministry....