By the time Pope Francis reads this Sunday’s gospel to a congregation attending his mass in Philadelphia, he will have toured the U.S. Capitol and met Americans of every belief system—all of whom hope his teachings reflect their beliefs. Some…
The problem with people is our sense of entitlement. The next time you feel deserving of a favor from God, think of the Prodigal Son story. This son, one of two, set off to escape his humdrum life. To fund…
Our favorite teachers during our formative years were the ones who found ways to surprise or even shock us. Their “teachable moments” could, at least, give one a new perspective on life. At best they could change one’s life. Teachers…
One of the most common afflictions in nursing homes is deafness. Sometimes the most severely afflicted are not in beds, but at the side of them, usually wearing lab coats and stethoscopes. They’re the healers, responsible for making the inhabitants…
Robots are getting more like humans every day—and if I were a robot I wouldn’t brag about it. An article in The Wall Street Journal this week reported that robots are being endowed with the same kind of “deep learning…
There are plenty of passages in the Bible to which people object. I had one of those moments with one of this Sunday’s readings. The fault I found wasn’t in the words of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Eph…
Answering that musical question is the key to wisdom. We must all recognize that foolishness is our original sin. We’re born into this legacy from Adam & Eve and we spend the rest of our lives trying to find our…
God’s love is a forest in which we tend to get lost. Upon entry we’re amazed by its beauty, but just as we eventually take our loved ones for granted, we tend to get used to immersion in love. We…
If the people witnessing the miracle of the loaves and fish in last week’s gospel reading were celebrating their first communion, this week’s gospel is a confirmation. In both the secular and the Christian meanings of the word “confirmation,” an…
This Sunday’s gospel account of the loaves and fishes miracle (Jn 6:1-15) is familiar to many of us, so it offers a good opportunity to take a fresh perspective. When you read it at mass, pretend you’re walking into the…