The Good Word

Ash Wednesday whose ashes symbolize mourning and penitence is also it seems to me a period of joyous return The Apostle Paul captures this sense of joy in the second reading today 2 Corinthians 5 20-6 2 Paul has written earlier in 2 Cor 5 that the love of Christ urges him on in his ministry

nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Two stories about Jesus that I think will be a guide for Lent are His nbsp calling at the time of his baptism and nbsp his temptations in the desert which immediately follow this baptism story nbsp The descent of the Spirit into Jesus and the words from on High yo

I must come clean about something though I could plead guilty to a lot more and it has to do with the modern study of the Bible At times I have criticized the study of the Bible as practiced since the Enlightenment even to those who are not of the guild of Biblical scholars That is I have betr

These readings about leprosy or some skin eruption are particularly challenging since we both think we know about such things and do but also may miss a good deal of what is under discussion in both narratives Both stories assume and maintain the importance of a system which includes skin dise

The readings chosen for the Memorial of Saint Agatha are poignant and thought-provoking The first reading from Hebrews 12 18-19 21-24 speaks eloquently beautifully of the approach to the Living One God almighty now made less fearful since the mediation of Christ It also notes that in approach

The Presentation of Jesus and the Purification of Mary is one of the seven stories which make up Luke 1 and 2 Luke chose to introduce the adult life of Jesus and eventually the Acts of the Apostles Certainly Luke continued to solidify the Holy Family s fidelity to the Old Testament religio

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord celebrated on February 2 2009 comes at just the right time this year a time when we ought even more to reflect on the Jewishness of Jesus Fr James Martin noted in the In All Things blog yesterday a document posted on the website of the Society of St

They entered Capharnaum on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee that is Jesus and his disciples He taught on the Sabbath in the synagogue he is the only teacher in his group The people in the synagogue were astounded by Jesus teaching because he was teaching with authority i e

In many ways South Africa is a laboratory of social change Most unexpectedly our little Catholic community has become an experiment in the minor religious department of that laboratory I refer of course to the new English texts of the Mass which have generated such surprising friction It appears

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B All the readings show pairs of galvanizing moments Jonah s choice to preach preceded by a refusal the Ninevites decision to turn to God and amend their evil ways Paul s reversal to preach instead of persecute Jesus the Corinthians challenge to