Old Saints and Staying the Course
There is something attractive about the figure of Zacchaeus, isn’t there? He’s exuberant and also uninhibited. Imagine a man of his importance climbing a tree... Read more.
The Demands of the Christian Life
The Gospel of Luke combines inexpressible tenderness with an intolerable severity. Consider the contrast between the parables of the prodigal son or the good Samaritan... Read more.
Laughter and Weeping, Riches and Wealth
Occasionally, in hearing confessions, I encounter a penitent who has been away from the sacraments for a number of years. When it comes time to assign a penance,... Read more.
Banishing Envy
The final words of today’s second reading, from Saint Paul’s letter to the Colossians, like their parallel in Galatians, are much resorted today: Here there... Read more.
Ascension, Bishops and the Church
When was the Church founded? Many would say that it emerged from the opened side of Jesus on the cross, like a new Eve from the new Adam. Others point to Pentecost... Read more.
Saint John and The Person of Christ
The Gospel of Saint John is different from those of Matthew, Mark and Luke, which all begin with the man Jesus, who by his mighty deeds and compelling words led... Read more.
The Good Shepherd Never Leaves His Flock
Has any one of you been a shepherd? or even seen one? Do shepherds exist in contemporary North America? Nevertheless, we know instinctively that when Jesus refers... Read more.
The Seven Penitential Psalms
When you are old—as I am—a single word or event can release a flood of memories. That happened to me when I noticed that today’s responsorial psalm is number... Read more.
Senses of Scripture in the Prodigal Son
In 1861, John William Burgon, the (Anglican) dean of Chichester cathedral, preached a sermon in Christ Church cathedral, Oxford, that included the following statement:... Read more.
A Meditation for Lent
Jewish rabbis have a useful word to describe the attitude of a believer to Sacred Scripture. The word is mashal, and it is used of a short, witty statement, often... Read more.