Last weekend I attended my nephew’s high school graduation. He’s off to college, and understandably at his age, not sure what career he wants to pursue. One thing he says he knows for sure, is that his career will not involve mathematics. At one point he was into the sciences, but just didn’t like or…
Jesus is no appeaser. He hates sin, self-righteousness, violence and injustice. But he has made his hates general. I am not aware of Jesus berating any individual, even when that individual was a known sinner, even when that individual was known to betray him. But Jesus was absolutely relentless in revealing the evil and hypocrisy…
‘The soul grows not by addition but by subtraction,’ said German Theologian Meister Eckhart. This ancient eastern wisdom is such a welcome counter balance to our modern western culture which seems only to be interested in a life of addition; more, more and even more. Especially at this time of year; our shopping carts are…
Indeed all that glitters is not gold, and where did this gold medal come from anyway? Well it was not from the original Greek Olympics, whose first place prize which was not a gold medal but a laurel wreath. These crowns of flowers are splendidly beautiful today, but they are gone tomorrow—a wise reminder that…
Fr. Richard Rohr, a Catholic spiritual writer and Franciscan monk, tells a powerful story about father’s day from his first days in prison ministry; work he would continue for 15 years. He recalls the first time that mothers’ day came around, how the inmates were all eager to write a letter back home to mom.…
“Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath.” (Mt 12:2) Today’s Gospel reading could make a fine episode of Law & Order, and framing it in this way reveals something profound about our quest for righteousness in this world. The first part of today’s reading is all about the…
Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey. -Mt 21:5 ‘What if the donkey on which Jesus was riding had thought all the cheering was for him? What if that small animal had believed that the hosannas and the branches were in his honor?’ Behind the humor, this is a…