The image of Jesus as shepherd and his followers as sheep has endured over many centuries even for those who have never had the experience of watching a shepherd caring for sheep. The shepherd calls the sheep by name and…
Today’s Gospel follows a theme of light and darkness that is spread throughout John’s writings beginning with the prologue where light shines through the darkness. It also follows several previous unpleasant encounters between Jesus and the religious leaders. They are…
Most of us here have experienced the Catholic Church as it was before Vatican II and after it. Think about the focus on externals before the council. Rituals were very important, and they were governed by specific rules – Mass…
In our current liturgical cycle there are four manifestations of the Christ in the Sunday readings. The first revelation was on Christmas Day to the shepherds — the simple and humble keepers of sheep, God’s preferential option for the poor.…
I recall when I was in fourth or fifth grade saying goodbye to my friends because the world was supposed to end the next day. None of us took it seriously and had a good laugh the next morning when…
When I first read this parable I thought “Jesus, this parable is a perfect fit for today’s world!” Let’s take a look at the actors in the parable and at their parallel in our imagination. The rich man: Amos would…
Recently, on CNN, I watched an interview with a man named Aaron Stark, who said that when he was in his late teens he could very easily become a mass murderer. In fact, he was ready to do something terrible.…
This Sunday is known as Trinity Sunday. I have a confession to make. It makes no difference to me whether God is manifested as creator, as Jesus incarnate or as the Holy Spirit. The notion of trinity isn’t a big…
As we come up on this third Sunday after Easter, we can see that Jesus has appeared several times after his death – first to Mary Magdalen and the women with her, to the disciples in the upper room without…
When I agreed to prepare this homily, I did so without looking at the readings. I was very happy when I saw that the Gospel story was one of my favorites. The world needs to hear this story today because…
Have you ever wondered what purpose a giraffe serves in this life? Do they enhance nature? Can they be domesticated? They can’t carry a burden; It would slide right off of their slanted backs. They can’t pull a wagon walking…
Mary, the holy mother of God, or in Greek, “Theotokos.” That title goes back to the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. Nestorius held that the divine and human natures of Jesus were completely separate and thought the title of…