The basic difference between “the world” and the gospel is that one is about having and one is about giving.  The prophet Ezekiel criticizes the people because the are only about getting. “By your wisdom and your intelligence you have made riches for yourself” and because of that said “I am god,” I have made… Read More »

Several years ago there was an advertisement featuring John Houseman. In his stentorian tones he said, “Smith Barney gets money the old fashioned way. They earn it.” How American a concept. There’s no such thing as a free lunch. You have to earn everything. That captures the problem the rich, young man was having. He… Read More »

This happened to me recently. I’m in the cafeteria line putting food on my plate. I pick up a bag of Cheetos and the person behind me says, “You know those aren’t good for you.” Of course I know they’re not good for me. I know they are junk food. But I like junk food,… Read More »

The prophet Ezekiel accurately describes God’s justice: “the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.” Everyone faces judgement on the basis of their behaviors and actions, not those of the family. This is not to say, however, that we are not… Read More »

During the rite of marriage after the couple exchange vows the celebrant prays the words of Jesus: “what God has joined together, man must not separate.” That is the ideal. Reality, sadly, is that the bonds of marriage do at times unravel. Pope Francis has challenged the Church to hold onto our ideals while at… Read More »

The prophet Ezekiel is told by God to “migrate from where you live to another place.” This displacement in geography will provide a lesson for the people of God. The gospel writers are also sensitive to geography. “Jesus left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.” The prophet action of Jesus being… Read More »

“In Christ shall all be brought to life, but each one in proper order.” These words of St. Paul can serve as the background for the Assumption of Mary. The feast says that Mary already enjoys the ultimate triumph to be won by Christ on the last day. That she does so is “proper order.”… Read More »

Someone once observed that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. If that is true, and it sounds right to me, then when Jesus says “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven” he is asking us to get over our obsession with self,… Read More »

This summer we have been reading from the Old Testament prophets. For the next two weeks the selections will be taken from Ezekiel. He is a prophet of exile whose mission was to help the Judeans in a foreign land understand that God was with them even in the midst of their difficulties. He could… Read More »

Today in the small village of Guamal on the Magdalena River of Colombia Deacon Gustavo is distributing Holy Communion to the children who are attending Sunday School. On the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica Father Mariano is deciding how many of the forty-two chapels that comprises the parish of Santo Domingo de Guzman he will… Read More »