Elijah appears on the scene in the Bible as a mighty prophet. He defied King Ahab and Queen Jezebel for not preserving pure worship of the God of Israel. Jezebel was from Sidon and a Baal worshiper who introduced the practices of her native country into Israel. Elijah feared for his life because of his… Read More »

St. Barnabas saw the potential is Saul of Tarsus and worked to rehabilitate his reputation among the first generation of believers. Saul became Paul and eventually the two of them became partners in mission. The Acts of the Apostles reports that at some point Paul and Barnabas had a falling out — apparently over another… Read More »

In 1858 after Abraham Lincoln was nominated as the Republican candidate for Senator in Illinois he gave a famous speech in Springfield. He said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved … but I… Read More »

His mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us?” Jesus said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The two holiest people who every lived had a hard time understanding each other! So we should not be surprised… Read More »

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has a long tradition in the Church. In the seventeenth century this devotion was given a prominent place in the prayers and liturgy of the Church with a special feast day. In that era the faith had taken on a very rigorous, intellectual, even severe tone. Devotion to… Read More »

St. Paul apparently did not see the incompatibility of two of his instructions to Timothy. On the one hand he should tell people to “stop disputing about words.” The Apostle observes that such disputes “harm those on listen.” On the other hand, he tells his apprentice that he should teach “the word of truth without… Read More »

Paul’s second letter to Timothy is supposedly written from Rome as a last will and testament to a beloved younger colleague in ministry. The apostle suggests that success in ministry depends on two things. First, Paul says he worships “with a clear conscience as my ancestors did.” In other words, it is important to stay… Read More »

The epistle 2 Peter reflects a crisis that arose in the second and third generation of Christians. The apostolic teaching in general and St. Paul in particular led people to expect an immanent “second coming.” They expected God to intervene in the near future to install the kingdom of peace and justice. When this “second… Read More »

The Second Epistle of St. Peter is probably the last book of the Bible to be written down. It reflects the situation of the nascent Church at the beginning of the second century. Paul’s letters would have been fifty years old and you wonder if the epistle is reacting to a misunderstanding of the role… Read More »

If there is one thing that makes a Catholic a Catholic it is the Eucharist.  Receiving the body and blood of Jesus in Holy Communion is central to the way we connect with God.  Not only at regular Sunday worship do we receive communion but at Catholic weddings, at Catholic funerals, at Catholic graduation ceremonies,… Read More »