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Life’s Instruction Manual is a Quick but Mighty Read
My wife and I attended Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel today for the baptism of our grandniece, Angelina. The readings couldn’t have been more appropriate. They are the instructions to lead a blessed life. The first reading from…
God Helps His Reluctant Leaders
The world’s best leaders came to that role reluctantly. That truism is reflected not only in today’s readings but throughout history. In today’s second reading from Hebrews, Paul notes that God appoints every high priest to act on the people’s…
Too Many Public Servants, Not Enough Slaves
All politicians are local. They’re inescapable, and lobbying to take an even loftier position in our lives. That must have been how Jesus felt in today’s gospel when James and John asked for the highest positions in his cabinet. But Jesus was suspicious…
The Price of Heaven? You Can’t Afford it.
I’ve always identified with that poor/rich guy in today’s gospel who asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life. I don’t relate to his wealth, really, but to his desire for some assurance of salvation. When Jesus quotes him the price, he…
The Gospel According to Tammy
Our little boy is four years old and quite a little man So we spell out the words we don’t want him to understand Like T-O-Y or maybe S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E; But the words we’re hiding from him now Tear the heart…
Jesus Separates Wise Men from the Wise Guys
If Jesus would have been as hungry for power for power’s sake as his disciples seemed to be in last week’s gospel reading, he could have been the most notorious gangster of all time. Gangs feed off the energy of…
The Most Important Job in Any Business: Servant
Today I attended mass at St. Malachi, the parish of my business mentor, Bernie Knill. He’s the man to whom I owe my writing career. He passed away two years ago, but his family has been nice enough to invite…
Aspiring to Own the Armor of Innocence
Today’s readings reminded me how liberating innocence is. You know how you go to confession weighed down by the guilt of a litany of sins, and you leave that confessional like a prisoner leaves jail once he’s served his time?…
Longing for Jesus’ Administration
We can’t escape from politics these days. The commercials are full of candidates spitting in each other’s eyes and performing self-proclaimed miracles. Today’s readings reminded me of the contrast between human and divine politics. As our King, Jesus is a…