Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
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”
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”
At daily Mass, we are reading the story of St. Paul’s arrival in Philippi and later of his arrest, beating, and imprisonment. It serves as a kind of metaphor for the radical nature of true Christianity and why it so perturbs many in this world. The Christian faith, its message, and the transformation it can …
Continue reading “Why Did St. Paul Get Arrested at Philippi?”
In Wednesday’s reading, the Acts of the Apostles sets forth an event that amounts to a tale of one Church in two cities or regions. It illustrates well a couple of points: that the Church is always in need of reform and that our lives are not merely about us and what we want. Let’s …
Continue reading “Your Life is Not About You, As Illustrated in a Biblical Story”
Several of the Resurrection accounts stress that Jesus showed the disciples His wounds. On one level we can understand that He was trying to make clear to them that the same Christ who was crucified stood before them; He was not a ghost or an apparition or simply someone who looked like Jesus. When Christ …
Continue reading “Why Did Christ’s Glorified Body Still Have Wounds?”
When I gave a talk recently at the Institute of Catholic Culture on the subject of the Second Coming, I was I asked to describe what our resurrected bodies will be like. Here is an article I wrote a few years back that details some aspects of our resurrected bodies: St Paul writes to the …
Continue reading “What Will Our Resurrected Bodies Be Like?”
According to the Synoptic Gospels, sundown of Holy Thursday ushered in the Passover. Later on this evening, the Lord will celebrate the Passover meal with His disciples. We ought to be mindful that the unleavened bread Jesus will take in His hands is called “the bread of affliction.” Scripture says, You shall eat [the Passover] …
Continue reading “What was the Lord Doing on Thursday of Holy Week?”
In the Stations of the Cross Jesus says a rather extraordinary thing. He addresses it to the women who have gathered to lament Him: Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and for your children, for indeed, the days are coming when people will say, “Blessed are the barren, the wombs …