At first glance, the message of today’s Gospel parable seems so blatantly unfair.  The workers who put in a whole day’s work and sweat receive the same wage as those who were there for only one hour?  It may make us ask, “Jesus, what’s going on here?”

And then we remember that envy and discontentment say everything about us, and nothing about what God is doing here.  So what is the lesson of this parable?  First, it’s helpful to pay attention to Jesus’ use of the phrase, “usual daily wage.”  This […]

We’ve all heard the dictum: “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”  It’s straight from the Bible.  In fact, you’ll find it in three books of the Old Testament:  Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy.   This instruction follows shortly after the Ten Commandments and is offered as a practical application of the 5^th Commandment: Thou shalt not kill.  After decreeing that “whoever strikes someone a mortal blow must be put to death,” the text goes on to decree the appropriate punishment for lesser injury.  It ends with, “if injury […]

As all of the fall activities swing into full gear, I’m sure many of you are finding yourselves on playing fields or in a gym as you or your child or grandchild get involved in various sports.  As I’m sure you all know, when beginning to play a new sport, it is vital to learn the rules.  And, they’re different in different sports.  For example, basketball players may not kick the ball, but they may pass it with their hands.  On the other hand, soccer players may not touch the […]

Every time we gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we experience God’s presence in two amazing ways: in his living Word and in our Lord’s life-giving Body and Blood.  As we continue to join with all of the parishes throughout our country in the national Eucharistic Revival, we are called to focus on the great gift of the Eucharist, the true Body and Blood of our Lord that offers us spiritual nourishment on our journey to heaven.  One way we are doing that here is by offering Bishop Robert Barron’s excellent […]

“Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi.”  Today’s Gospel begins in a somewhat unusual way.  Rather than starting with the typical “Jesus began to teach them,” or “Jesus told his disciples another parable,” it starts with a statement about geography, about a particular city called Caesarea Philippi.  I’ve been there and can tell you that it’s well worth visiting; it’s a popular tourist attraction.  That’s because, well before the time of Jesus, this area was an important spot along one of the major trade routes from the east to […]