Taking sides against one another has always been one of humanity’s greatest vices–but not as great as our weakness for turning that vice into virtue. This idea that my side is better than your side has been the cause of most wars throughout human history. This Sunday’s readings remind us that such wars can even […]
The readings for the second Sunday in ordinary time can be used to remind us of the continuous power of Christmas spirit. They deliver three accounts of the calling to bring the gift of God’s grace to others. The called are Isaiah, Paul and John the Baptist. Like all of us, each of them knows […]
I was copied on an e-mail with an article attached, titled Science Confirms: Angels Took the House of Our Lady of Nazareth to Loreto. It tells of a miracle supported by physical evidence and papal recognition. Faithful readers are asked to believe that on May 9th, 1291, the house in which Mary, the mother of […]
I took my family to a Christmas concert at Parkside Church, an Evangelical community in Chagrin Falls. It felt like this interfaith gathering was meditating on the Joyful mysteries of the rosary. The songs selected for the program took us through the Christmas journey, from annunciation through Jesus’ boyhood. Nestled right in the middle of […]
Richard Robb is CEO of a $5 billion hedge fund, and author of a book titled “Willful: How We Choose What We Do.” He wrote it to help us understand the central theme of neoclassical economics: that people base their decisions on rational choice—intending to maximize self-interest. He cites the parable of the Good Samaritan […]
The Bible can help us plot our place in a fruitful family tree nourished by a royal bloodline. Matthew’s gospel traces that line back to Abraham, but the first line gives us the CliffsNotes version, short and sweet: Jesus Christ—the son of David—the son of Abraham. The first reading for this Sunday’s Mass (Is 7:10-14) […]
About now many families are preparing for Christmas by wrapping the gifts they’ll give to loved ones. The payback for all this work comes when they watch the beloved recipient remove those wrappings to reach the gift so artfully concealed. That’s kind of like how we prepare ourselves for our presentation before God. We spend […]
The noun “Grandfather” appears a few times in the Bible. The verb “to Grandfather” does not. However, if the idea of grandfathering someone did exist in biblical times, it could have appeared in this Sunday’s gospel reading (Mt 3:1-12). In it, John the Baptist was living up to his destiny, preparing a way for the […]
There’s a business podcast out there called Executive Disciple, the purpose of which is to help people at all levels of the work environment “reconnect Sunday and Monday.” In other words, don’t let the lessons you learned during Sunday Mass stay in church. Bring them to work with you the next day and put them […]
If you get to be king of the universe, you’d think that would come with some pretty good amenities. What does such a king deserve? The one we celebrate at every Mass got nailed to a cross. The Mass readings for this Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, involve people who […]