Over the past two weeks, we have heard several parables in the Sunday gospels.  As I explained last week, Jesus used these parables to teach his followers about the kingdom of heaven.  Over the next few weeks, we will hear several accounts of Jesus performing miracles.  We will hear him cure the sick, feed vast crowds and even calm the sea.  These miracles are also opportunities for Jesus to teach his followers – then and now.  Not only do they demonstrated God’s mercy and compassion but they all point to […]

This week and next, we will hear several parables in the Sunday gospels.  Jesus often spoke in parables to teach his followers.  In fact, there are over 100 parables in the Bible and Jesus uses at least 35 parables in his teachings.  About 20 of them are found in Matthew’s Gospel – the one that is featured this liturgical year – so it’s especially helpful this year to understand them.  But what exactly is a parable and why did Jesus choose to use them as a teaching tool?

The English word […]

 As we continue to celebrate our nation’s semiquincentennial, I would like to offer some more reflections on the tremendous freedom we enjoy in our country.  One of these freedoms is freedom to worship God according to our consciences.  Our nation’s Constitution declares in its very first amendment that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  The Constitution regulates Congress which, according to its first amendment, should not make any laws that would prohibit the free exercise of our religion.

In 2012, the […]

Our Lord calls us to “do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Mt. 7:12), and then teaches us to love our neighbor, using his parable of the Good Samaritan to demonstrate who is our neighbor (cf.  Lk 10:29ff).  It should be a matter of great concern for all of us that, in a country as prosperous as ours, so many of our fellow Americans (approximately 11% of the 340 million Americans) live in poverty.  For more than half a century, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development […]