Before attending Easter Sunday services a few weeks ago, Sri Lanka was probably not on the mental maps of many American Christians. That changed after a series of terrorist suicide bombings killed hundreds of people of many faiths and nationalities…
The scriptures show that some of Jesus’s followers—both friends and enemies—could recognize him anywhere. That is evident in this Sunday’s readings, especially among those categorizing themselves in the latter camp—the ones who followed him to death. As the Gospel of…
Edward R. Murrow, the legendary journalist who rose to fame during World War II, is credited for saying, “Anyone who isn’t confused doesn’t really understand the situation.” He also called his era of humanity “an age of confusion.” “Opinions can…
As Easter Sunday approaches, many of us yearn for some of the dramatic miracles we read about in the scriptures. Our real problem is we tend to ignore the quiet miracles that happen to us every day—some that we help…
Even the most secular cultures worship idols. We’re passionate about celebrities and celebrity—as well as the accompanying wealth and fame. Most of us idolize from a distance, but if we get close enough for long enough, our idols sometimes lose…
New methods and practices designed to save lives can cost them if the people entrusted with those lives stay locked into their old ways. That’s as true today as it was when this Sunday’s Mass readings were written. And as…
Older readers might remember a guy named Paul Harvey. He became best known for his “The Rest of the Story” radio features reporting the unsung outcomes of often-told stories. Sunday’s gospel reading includes the Prodigal Son parable, which ends…
Folksinger Woody Guthrie wrote a song that could be a hymn in all Churches this Sunday: Holy Ground. It was inspired by our first reading (Ex 3:1-8a, 13-15), where Moses encounters the burning-but-not-burned bush sprouting from a sacred desert mountain.…
The 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial pitting Creationism vs. Evolution could have been a lot less controversial had William Jennings Bryan used his Bible to let evolution make the case for creation. Instead of Genesis, he should have gone to Sirach—the…
Many have a gift for storing scripture in their memory bank. In some it’s a bank of good will, in others, evil is the only interest. In the latter case, scripture is merged with one’s own interests to achieve a…