The Bible reflects an ambiguity when it comes to money. Jesus, for example, chides us, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” His lesson to “seek first the kingdom of God” shows the secondary place that money has according to gospel values. St. Paul has a similar attitude.  “I have learned, in whatever situation I find myself,… Read More »

On the Church’s calendar this day we celebrate the Dedication of the St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. This is the cathedral church of Rome (St. Peter’s is technically in another country, Vatican City) and hence the seat of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, hammers… Read More »

In the parables of Jesus when the shepherd finds the lost sheep and the woman finds the lost coin they call together friends and neighbors and said to them ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep, my lost coin.’ Is it odd to imagine the rejoicing feast will consist of lamb stew… Read More »

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor killed by the Nazis in World War II, wrote a book entitled, The Cost of Discipleship. The book describes the difference between cheap grace and costly grace. He names as cheap grace “grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” Costly grace on the other hand calls us to… Read More »

St. Paul’s letter to the Church in Philippi is full of affection. He obviously loved that community. Ironically the most popular part of that letter, the “hymn to Christ,” was probably not written by the Apostle. It seems to have been part of the prayer of the community that Paul adapted. He wanted to stress… Read More »

I try to imagine what the world would look like if we took the advice of St. Paul:  “Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.” The capitalist enterprise of self-interest has permeated into our cultural ethos. On the hierarchy of values… Read More »

St. Mark describes a scene where Jesus and a scribe have a dialogue. The scribe echoed Jesus’ explanation of the first of all the commandments.  “Teacher you are right in saying, God is One and there is no other… and to love him with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength … and to love… Read More »

St. Paul wrote to the Church in Philippi: “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.” This thought of the Apostle reminds us to focus on the “why” of life instead of merely surviving. There was… Read More »

Mummification as practiced in the era of the pyramids of Egypt is an attempt to hold onto life as we know it. Surrounding the mummies are those things which accompanied them in this life. On All Souls’ Day we are attempting the opposite of mummification. We are recognizing the dead have passed from this world… Read More »

On the Feast of All Saints the teaching for Vatican II, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), deserves notice: “It has pleased God to make men and women holy and to save them, not as individuals without any bond between them, but rather as a people who might acknowledge him in truth and serve… Read More »