In 313 A.D. when Constantine became ruler of the Roman Empire, he declared Christianity to be the State religion. The good that came from this was that it ended the persecution under which the Christians had been living. The Church became very powerful, bishops began wearing the purple of the State senators….

Last week we celebrated the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome and reflected on the Church, not only being the structural building, but also the People who come together in belief and worship. This week we reflect on the different talents given by a master to three servants and their response…

In today’s gospel, Jesus gets angry at the corruption He finds in the temple and drives out all the money changers and sellers. He was criticizing the hypocrisy of the temple leadership by priestly elites and their disregard for the poor. Jesus knew that by criticizing the temple leaders, they would want…

Winter is definitely on its way. It’s the time when the uneducated eye might believe that life has ceased. When I look out my window into the woods, I see the trees have dropped their leaves, the bright wildflowers have withered away. Yet under that icy blanket of snow I know that…

Meditation: What is the purpose of God’s law and commandments? The Pharisees prided themselves in the knowledge of the law of Moses and the rutual requirements of the law. They made it a life-time practice to study the 613 precepts of the Torah – the books of the Old Testament containing the…

In today’s gospel, the first son, you have to agree, is not a hypocrite. He is being honest by saying that he flatly refuses to do any of God’s work. It is the second son that is the hypocrite. He is like a flower who has beautiful buds and blossoms, but bear…

“How splendid the cross of Christ! It brings life, not death; light, not darkness; Paradise, not its loss.” Author Unknown Today we celebrate the feast of “The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.” The cross is today the universal image of Christian belief. Countless generations of artists have turned it into a…

“Oh you of little faith, why do you still doubt Me?” Jesus asks Peter. Just the day before, Jesus was preaching to over 5000 people near the Sea of Galilee. In order to feed the people Jesus has the disciples try to find food. They come up with only 2 fish and…

The parable of the sower and the seed is often used to encourage the faithful to be the “good ground” for the message of Jesus. Hopefully, we identify with being “good ground.” We certainly don’t want to focus on the things that keep us from doing what Jesus calls us to do….

There was an amazing young couple, brilliant medical doctors, who spent practically all of their free time doing medical mission trips to poor areas of the Philippines. They truly sought to link their faith and their profession. To witness their devotion, as well as their generosity to the poor and needy, was…