Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
Today’s Gospel at Mass is the very familiar one of Martha and Mary. Martha is the anxious worker seeking to please the Lord with a good meal and hospitality. Mary sits quietly at his feet and listens. One has come to be the image of work, the other of prayer. Misinterpreted? In my fifty-two years …
Applying salutary discipline, and balancing it with necessary consolations and encouragement is never an easy task. It is possible that a parents can be too severe on their children, such that they become disheartened, and lack necessary self-esteem. But it is also possible that parents can be too lax such that their children become spoiled and lack proper …
Continue reading “On the Balance of Love and Correction according to St. Gregory.”
One could easily reduce this Sunday’s Gospel to trite moral advice such as this: Help people in trouble; be kind to strangers. While these are certainly good thoughts, I would argue that it is about far deeper things than human kindness or ethics. This is a Gospel about the transformative power of God’s love and …
Continue reading “Love Lightens Every Load – A Homily for the 15th Sunday of the Year”
We are in times of strident political protest that includes a lot of harsh language, personal attacks, name calling, and even debased and profane terms. There are tweets, and angry monologues, harsh commentary on news networks, and interruptive press conferences and news interviews that sound more like a brawl than a debate. To put it …
Continue reading “In Times of Harsh Political Discourse, What Do the Scriptures Say?”
Practical Principles for Proclaiming the Kingdom In the Gospel today, Jesus gives a number of practical principles for those who would proclaim the Kingdom. Let’s look at each of them in turn. Serious – The text says, At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every …
Continue reading “Practical Principles for Proclaiming the Kingdom – 14th Sunday of the Year”
I like many of you will always remember where I was when I heard that Roe v. Wade had been struck down. I was in Wichita Kansas preaching a priests retreat and preparing for Mass on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Tears welled in my eyes as I ran to share the …
Continue reading “Still We March: Thoughts on the Overturn of Roe V. Wade”
I want to write more in the end of Roe v. Wade. But while that post is underway I want to consider today the extraordinary miracle of human life. It has been like a dagger in my heart that sixty-three million children have died in this country as a result of abortion since 1973. Shocking …
Continue reading “Thoughts on the Miracle of Life, As We March.”
This Sunday’s Gospel portrays through the life of Jesus some important disciplines for disciples. Let’s look at them and see how to apply them to our lives today. I. Purposefulness – The text says, When the days for Jesus’ being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers …
Continue reading “Five Disciplines of Discipleship – A Homily for the 13th Sunday of the Year”