The adulterous woman to whom Jesus said "neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more" was the recipient of the free gift of a grace that was costly, not cheap. The pardon of the adulteress, and all of us, cost Jesus his...
The story of the Prodigal or wasteful Son is more about the extravagant, loving Father. This story makes clear that God is not a raging tyrant who demands that must be appeased through the suffering of his Son, but rather that the extravagant love...
Saint Joseph always appears in Manger scenes during Advent and Easter time and even has a special Solemnity or Feast in his honor, St. Joseph's Day, March 19. This essay makes a case that St. Joseph teaches us some crucial things about the nature...
Is Lent about fasting or feasting? Maybe the two are related, says this commentary on the story of the barren fig tree from the gospel of Luke chapter 13. Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving. Three inter-related fertilizers which help barren fig trees bear fruit....
This post examines the relationship between the transfiguration and the passion of Christ, between Mount Tabor and Calvary. It also asks the question of of whether God the Father ever abandoned Jesus on the Cross. Helpful reading either for the Feast of the...
Leo the Great on the famous passage from Matthew 16 in which Jesus gives Cephas the new name of Peter, meaning rock, along with the keys to the kingdom of heaven. It is read each year on the Feast of the Chair of...
The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew's gospel includes such tough such as love your enemies, turn the other cheek, and judge not. How are we to understand such things and put them into practice? The examples of Jesus & St. Thomas More...
The Beatitudes appear in the gospels of Matthew and Luke as part of the Sermon on the Mount. But what actually is the nature of true happiness? Must we be miserable in this world to be happy in the next? Faith and hope...
Discipleship is about a call to embark upon an epic adventure, not about preserving the safe, comfortable and predictable mediocrity of business as usual. The disciples left behind everything to follow Jesus and journey down a road that would lead them through danger to...
Bible study and prayer with Scripture is absolutely necessary for Catholics. As St. Jerome said, ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ...