The anger of Jonah in today’s first reading is palpitating and smoking. He is enraged to the point of death. Why? He preached the Word of God to the people of Nineveh, and they turned to God, abandoning their evil ways. God then showed them his loving mercy and compassion.…
Often in mission life the missionary encounters a particular family that accepts the faith wholeheartedly, and this family, this household, becomes the center of the faith for the town or broader community. New Testament We see this in Paul’s second missionary journey when he and his band arrive in Philippi.…
Today we honor St. Francis, one of the most well-known Saints. Because of his love for animals, we traditionally have the “blessing of the animals” today. I get a kick out of the kids dragging their animals to the church grounds to be blessed. It can be a scene of…
Last Sunday we were at lunch with a group of singles, married couples, and widows. Some Catholic, others exploring Christianity for the first time. Some married within the (Catholic) faith, others outside it. Given the presence of a bachelor in our company, the discussion soon turned to marriage; in particular,…
We all want to feel safe, at all times and every place. Today we celebrate Messengers of God, whose role is to keep us safe until we attain full salvation—the blessedness of beholding the face of God. The Catechism teaches that, “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded…
As a boy of fourteen years old, the life of one girl moved mine more than any other—showing me the way of love. The girl is Thérèse, from the little city of Lisieux in Calvados, France. She is popularly known as the Little Flower, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus. To her, I…
I love all things literary. I love hearing great dialogue in a movie. I am impressed when a subject expert takes a complex subject and makes it understandable. Great speeches can move me to tears. And nothing to me is more wonderful than reading a great book. Today’s readings speak…
Nathanael speaks God gave me gifts; a love for my people, a love for his word and visions of his glory. I was also given a longing for him which is endless. From boyhood I wrestled with His words and tried to live my life in simple docility to my…
For me, the most striking part of today’s readings are these lines: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men of every nationality, speaking different tongues, shall take hold, yes, take hold of every Jew by the edge of his garment and say, ‘Let us go with…
We hear about the discussion of the disciples on the way to Caesarea Philippi arguing who among them is the greatest. We might call this aspiration towards greatness, “ambition.” Ambition is not bad. It can motivate us and energize us to do great things for ourselves and others. Ambition can…