In life, it is more common to encounter people who feel troubled, tired and abandoned. I have encountered many exhausted people. I have, myself, also felt troubled and exhausted many times because of life’s difficulties. That physical tiredness, however, could be a symptom of an inner weariness. Perhaps it’s a…
The devotion to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Mother Mary grew gradually in the life of the Church. Christians first honored Mary’s holiness because of her unique role as the Mother of Jesus. The biblical root of this feast is found especially in the Gospel of Luke, where Mary…
On the occasion of the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus let us focus on the development of the Feast and on aids to its proper devotion. The Devotion Every year, 19 days after Pentecost the Church celebrates this Solemnity. The Devotion to His Wounded Heart began in…
Today is the Feast of Saint Barnabas, a man whose very name means “Son of Encouragement”. He was not one of the original twelve apostles of Christ, but he was actively involved in the life of the early Christian communities. Barnabas stands out because he excelled at something deeply human…
“Which god do you pray to?” This question, posed to me many years ago by a Hindu acquaintance at a family gathering, bewildered me when I first heard it. Though I knew little of God in those days before faith, I understood that God, whoever He was, must be one;…
The words of Jesus in today’s Gospel are among the most powerful descriptions of the Christian identity: “You are the salt of the earth” and “You are the light of the world.” The full impact of these expressions is drawn from the hermeneutics (interpretation) of salt and light, especially in…
The Mass readings for today and the Psalm (Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth) offer us yet another insight into God’s ways and how Jesus continues to direct our lives in grace, through the Scriptures. Today, we are reading one of the great passages of…
Recently, I was doing some yard work with my four-year-old son. During our work, my shovel accidentally hit a worm and cut it in half. My son, who loves to find worms in our yard, examined the worm, and when he found that the worm wasn’t moving, he exclaimed, “The…
It’s been said that “the cynic is the one who knows the cost of everything, and the value of nothing.” There is a big difference between the cost of something and its value, and today’s Gospel brings this difference to the forefront. We hear the story of the poor widow…
Today’s readings remind me of an experience I had when I was young. I was in my Junior year of High School. For the mid-year vacations, my friends organized a trip to the beach. We were going to spend a whole weekend in the house of one of my friends,…