In the book of Sirach we read that God endowed humanity with power over all things else on earth. God gives human beings rule over beasts and birds. This is a reflection of the first chapter of the book of Genesis where God says to Adam and Eve to have “dominion over the fish of… Read More »

In the Book of Sirach there is a beautiful description of friendship. “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price.” In the Gospels Jesus must deal with issues of marriage and divorce. Both of these readings remind us how important relationships are to… Read More »

In one of my teen-age-smart-alecky moods when my mother said, “I’ve told you a thousand times not to do that.” I responded, “Not a thousand.” To which she answered, “Hyperbole added for emphasis.” Jesus adds hyperbole for emphasis when he tells us to chop of our hand or foot or eye if it causes us… Read More »

Jesus addressed two questions to his disciples at Caesarea Phillipi: “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” The first question we answer with our studies. We learn the catechism, we go to Bible class, we attend religious education, we might even get a degree in theology. The… Read More »

We know more about the provenance (to use an art term) of the Book of Sirach than most books of the Bible. The author Ben Sira was of the priestly family in Jerusalem who apparently fled to Egypt because of the persecution which eventually led to the Macchabean revolt. He captured the wisdom of the… Read More »

In one of Graham Greene’s novels a character says: “It’s odd … how sharing a sense of doubt can bring men together perhaps even more than sharing a faith. The believer will fight another believer over a shade of difference: the doubter fights only with himself.” We have seen in our time how “true believers”… Read More »

If it were my daughter who was shot playing in her front yard, I can’t imagine that I would be able to turn the other cheek. When I am downtown I do not give to panhandlers who ask of me, but walk right on by. When I saw the World Trade Towers came down from… Read More »

St. Mark’s gospel provides a fascinating contrast between the heavenly voice that spoke at Jesus’ baptism with the voice that spoke at the Transfiguration. At the Baptism the voice speaks directly to Jesus. “You are my beloved Son. I am well pleased with you.” It’s almost as if the divine affirmation of Jesus’ identity as… Read More »

The first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis are not intended as history. The biblical author(s) want us instead to understand the origin of things. This style of writing is common in many cultures, for example the folk tale “How the Tiger got his stripes” from Viet Nam. Thus it would not be true… Read More »

Mark 8 is the hinge of the gospel. All that Jesus said and did up to that point in the gospel leads St. Peter answer the question, “Who do you say that I am?” with the right answer, “You are the Christ.” But what the gospel hinges on is not that confession but what happened… Read More »