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 ....
7 minute podcast segment in which Dr. Italy is interviewed about the dynamics of discipleship and the paradox of freedom and rest through discipline. The term discipleship has been heard a lot in the past few years. Many parishes are writing mission statements these days calling...
The prophets of the Old and New Testaments show us that sometimes love demand that we speak truth that people don't want to hear. Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern; Jesus was run out of Nazaret. This shows us that God's messengers shouldn't expect...
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 theology of the Body of John Paul II has challenged a fundamental assumption about the Catholic faith - that it considers the body and bodily pleasures as unspiritual or even evil. This article helps to illumine what St. Paul means in Galatians 5:17 when...
In this 7 minute podcast, Dr. Italy paints a verbal picture of the site called Tabgha, between the Sea of Galille shore and the Mt. of Beatitudes. Here Jesus multiplied loaves and fish....