We have arrived at a time of the Church year when the readings speak of the Second Coming of Christ. This is a theme, of course, that is echoed in every Mass: “We proclaim your death…until you come again; …As we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ; …As we…
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Today’s readings bring us a “tale of two widows,” both of whom gave when they had every human reason not to. The widow in the first reading prepared something for Elijah although she didn’t have enough for herself and her son. The widow in the Gospel passage gave all her savings. The Lord’s prophet reassured…
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Christ puts the second commandment together with the first. “There is no other commandment greater than these.” The close relationship between these two commandments is discussed at length in the First Letter of John, in which he makes it clear that the failure to love the neighbor we see, and to attend to his needs,…
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The Gospel passage today about Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus epitomizes a key aspect of the Church’s teachings on social justice, namely, our preferential option for the poor. A “sizable crowd” was passing by, and the center of attention was Jesus. Not only were people not paying attention to the man by the side of the…
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“Human life was sacred at its creation and becomes more sacred as Christ the High Priest takes it to the very throne of the Father.” Whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant.” In the Kingdom of God, and therefore in the Culture of Life, even those in authority recognize that their…
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The manifold demands and activities of life can often obscure our understanding of what among them is most important. As the second reading indicates, it is the Word of God that cuts through the fog and enables us to discern clearly what matters most. The gift of “wisdom,” to which the first reading refers, is…
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The proclamation of the sanctity of life and the proclamation of the sanctity of marriage go hand in hand. God made both in his image. The “image” of God in the human being is fully reflected in the image of the total self-giving of human beings to one another in the common vocation of love.…
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The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love. St. John explains, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us” (1Jn.3:16). Christ teaches, “Greater love than this no one has than to lay down his life for his friends” (Jn.15:13). The best symbol of love is not the heart,…
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(Part 4 of 5 Series on Our Eucharistic Faith and Pro-Life Commitment) Two lessons each person needs to learn are, “1. There is a God. 2. It isn’t me.” The Eucharist, as the perfect sacrifice, acknowledges that God is God, and that “it is [His] right to receive the obedience of all creation.” (Sacramentary, Preface…
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(Part 3 of 5 Series on Our Eucharistic Faith and Pro-Life Commitment) “I am the Bread of Life. He who eats this bread will live forever. I will raise Him up on the last day.” (See Jn.6:47-58) The Eucharistic sacrifice is the very action of Christ by which He destroyed our death and restored our…
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