Rediscovering Hanukkah

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Salvation History records many instances of Jewish persecution. Around 150 years before Christ, it was the turn of the Greeks to wreak havoc and it fell to a brave remnant to uphold the traditions of the elders and revolt against tyranny. Judas Maccabeus and his band of faithful followers relied on God rather than brawn…

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Amazing Grace

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

In the end, it all hinges on free will. In St. Paul’s marvelous letter, he reminds the Romans and us of that “happy fault” that caused sin to enter the world yet won for us so great a redeemer. And through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus, the Christ, we are acquitted of the repeating sins…

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Two Towers

Photo of a dove symbolizing peace from the Holy Spirit

The more I think about it, the more I realize that there are two armies striving mightily to gain the upper hand. And the arena is both within and without. St. James poses the question: Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? He promptly answers his own question: Is…

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Banquet Etiquette

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Today’s reading features the chilling story of Jephthah’s fateful vow, culminating in his sacrificing his only daughter as a burnt offering. And in the Gospel, an ill-clad gent is flung into the outer darkness. The Bible is chock full of such hair-raising anecdotes that kept yours truly agog as a young impressionable lad, cueing the…

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Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Faith and doubt go hand in hand, seemingly. We see this in Scripture, in books, in the world around us, and most decidedly inside our inmost being. “They worshipped Him but they doubted.” Not surprising. For we are fallen creatures, our world is turned upside down. Our intellects darkened, we grope around in darkness, stumbling…

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Grace is Enough

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Be Not Afraid. Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Take It Easy. Hakuna Matata. (Okay, maybe scratch the Disney phrase). But in Mark here, Matthew there or in Luke and John galore, Our Lord takes great pains to remind me often and anon to ditch the anxiety already and bask in his grace. With the dawning of…

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On the Shoulders of Giants

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

For the last fortnight or so, the gospels have taken us on a deep dive, plumbing the depths of Jesus’ priestly prayer to the Father. We have the peerless gift of being front row spectators to that sublime prayer between God the Son with His Divine Father and the Holy Spirit. The Word made flesh…

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Credo, Credo, Credo!

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

Boats scudding across the Sea of Galilee. Our opening scenes in today’s gospel passage Jn 6:22-29, where a veritable sea of humanity plows through the waves with one goal in mind. And when they find him, they pose the first question of the day: Rabbi, when did you get here? Granted, not the finest of…

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Echoes the Sound of Silence

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

In the silence of the heart, the Lord speaks. When I recently heard these words from a priest, it immediately resonated with me. And while I instinctively knew its truth, I also knew it would be a pearl of peerless price, something difficult to attain. Many and varied would be the attacks preventing us from…

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Seek Good

Gratia Vobis Ministries, Inc.

“Seek good that you may live,” God offers us in today’s readings.He desires life for us, and not just earthly life as we know it. His offering is of a life lived full, lived true. We may not be able to continually experience the fullness of life during our time on this earth. However, He…

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