Blog of the Archdiocese of Washington
The well-known story of Lazarus and the rich man was read at Mass this morning (Thursday of the Second Week of Lent). On one level the message of the story seems plain enough: neglecting the poor is a damnable sin. However, there are other important teachings: about death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Those teachings are …
Continue reading “Learning the Lessons of Lazarus and the Rich Man”
Sunday’s Gospel about the temptation of Jesus in the desert by Satan evokes several questions. The answers I propose are not intended to be a theological treatise, but rather a pastoral reflection. I. Why does God permit temptation? God does not permit any evil or problem unless it can serve some greater good. In the …
The themes of early Lent are pretty basic. The ashes of Ash Wednesday announce the simple truth that we are going to die and subsequently face judgment. Hence we need to repent and come to believe the good news that only Jesus can save us. The reading for Thursday after Ash Wednesday features Moses laying …
At Saturday’s daily Mass (Saturday of the 7th Week of the Year) we read a beautiful reflection on the dignity and glory of the human person. It is deserving of deep meditation. This is especially true today, when some want to reduce humans to nothing more than “smart apes.” Ponder with me this passage from …
We live in an age of often strident secularism. If a religious utterance is made by a government official (or it would seem, even a First Lady) a loud cry goes up from an increasingly hostile minority. The platitude about “Separation of Church and State” is usually bandied about, a phrase that does not even …
In the Gospel today the Lord describes metaphorically what a Christian is and what He expects of us. Note five things about what God says: I The Definitiveness of His Proclamation – The text says, You are the Salt of the earth. … You are the light of the World. … But if salt goes …
Continue reading “Pass the Salt and Put on the Light – A Homily for the 5th Sunday of the Year”
Last week at daily Mass (Thursday of the First Week of the Year) we read from the Letter to the Hebrews. In it was an important admonition, especially appropriate for our times: Encourage yourselves daily while it is still today, so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin (Heb 3:12). …
Continue reading “The Hardening of Hearts Caused by the Deceit of Sin”
In the weekday Masses following the Christmas octave we celebrate the Word becoming flesh. We read from the First Letter of John, which emphasizes the Incarnation of Jesus and demands that we experience the Word becoming Flesh in a practical way in our own lives. Fundamentally, the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Trinity becoming …