“Fight the good fight of the faith…” (1 Tim. 6:12). To “fight the good fight” is to be upstanding in a good cause, in spite of opposition. Sometimes we congratulate people for fighting the good fight even though […]
Learn more“His master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly…” (Lk. 16:8). In our Gospel reading today, Jesus commends the dishonest manager for his quick and decisive action. Never mind that the manager is corrupt in the […]
Learn more“Was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road?” (Jas. 2:25). “Rahab the prostitute?”: wait a minute, did I hear that correctly? If we didn’t know […]
Learn more“Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:27). Our Gospel reading today goes a long way toward defining what it means to be a disciple. A disciple is a “follower,” and […]
Learn more“When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jo. 20:22). Our Gospel reading for this service of ordination and consecration is from the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of […]
Learn more“Let mutual love continue” (Heb. 13:1). The author of our second reading is taking something obvious for granted: that is, that the Christians he is writing to in fact know what “mutual love” is, and are actually practicing […]
Learn more“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…” (Heb. 12:22). Our reading this morning from Hebrews brings us close to God, on two mountaintops: Mount Sinai, where God […]
Learn more“And what more should I say?” (Heb. 11:32). What more, indeed, should the author of Hebrews say? As I understand it, this phrase, married to the following one about there not being enough time to tell the whole […]
Learn more“For whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Today we celebrate the feast of Edith Stein, otherwise known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross: a Jewish German who as a young student became […]
Learn more“Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” (Lk. 12:14). In our Gospel today, Our Lord Jesus Christ has an interesting reaction to the person asking him to resolve a disputed inheritance. He doesn’t […]
Learn more“When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them” (Lk. 9:54-55). These are days, in […]
Learn more“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you” (Lk. 8:39). “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” (Matt. 4:19), from Matthew’s account of the calling of the first disciples. Or […]
Learn more“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you” […]
Learn more“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words” (Gen. 11:1). The story begins on the dusty plain of Shinar, somewhere in the land between the rivers. The human race is in migratory mode, on the […]
Learn more“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word” (Jo. 17:20). Easter is a “no holds barred” season: though it goes on for fifty days, […]
Learn more“When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’” (Jo. 5:6). In our Gospel today, for the Sixth Sunday of […]
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