Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
The Passion, which we read in the Palm Sunday liturgy, is too long to comment on in detail, so we will only examine a portion of it here. It may be of some value to examine the problems associated with the more moderate range of personalities involved. The usual villains (the Temple leaders, Judas, and the recruited …
In yesterday’s post we pondered how the Jewish people, despite having witnessed signs and wonders during the plagues in Egypt, failed to trust in God and to call upon Him confidently when they saw the Egyptian army in pursuit. Today we consider how they grumbled about the food that God provided for their sustenance. Lesson …
Continue reading “The Grumblings in the Wilderness Have Much to Teach Us (Lesson Two)”
In the Gospel for Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent (John 5:31-47), Jesus sets forth a case for his divinity and presents evidence to his Jewish listeners of his divine status. He does not just come out of Galilee calling himself God. He demonstrates his power and calls other witnesses to testify. More of …
Continue reading “Four Proofs Advanced by Jesus to Show His Divinity”
As we explore the cardinal virtue of justice, it is helpful to follow the schema of St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae (II, IIae, qq. 57-122), where he treats it expansively. Because I am summarizing a large amount of material here, I have not included references for each specific point below. Please allow the …
The first reading this Sunday (Year B) contains the Ten Commandments and thereby communicates a brief but sweeping summary of the Christian and biblical moral vision. Too often, there is a tendency to reduce the Christian moral vision to a set of rules. It is sad that many people today resent the Church for her …
Pride is a sin that is so pervasive, runs so deep within us, that we often don’t even sense it is there. Not only is it a sinful drive in itself, it also plays a role in every other sin we commit. Pride is the sin we most share with Satan and the fallen angels. …
The moment of the Presentation of Jesus was one of the most dramatic in biblical history, yet almost no one noticed. The first part of this post is review for those of you who read my blog regularly. To skip to the newer insights, skip down to the sentence in red. Joseph and Mary have …
Continue reading “A Dramatic Biblical Moment That Nearly Everyone Missed”
Not too long ago, one of my readers sent me a collection of sayings or aphorisms on the topic of ministry. The collection is entitled Defining Ministry. The reader, who apparently does not think I follow modern trends very well, scolded me for being out-of-touch and recommended that I review the list. That reader apparently …
Continue reading “Defining Ministry or Muddling It? A Reflection on an Article “Assigned” to Me”