The Word

If you were approached by God as was Solomon and told ldquo Ask something of me and I will give it to you rdquo how would you respond Would you ask for money A happy family Good health World peace Solomon asked for ldquo an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish righ

It is very convenient to drive up to a metal box place an order turn the corner of the building and pick up a meal in a colorfully decorated bag But indulging our penchant for speed and convenience is often paid for by the loss of human sharing There is something very intimate about eating with

I see trees of green red roses too I see them bloom for me and you I see skies of blue and clouds of white the bright blessed day the dark sacred night And I think to myself what a wonderful world Several decades ago the jazz musician Louis Armstrong was inspired by the magnificence of the n

One of the great disappointments of my life was the painful realization that every religious group to which I belong is imperfect This should not have surprised me Religious or not each group is made up of limited human beings Still idealistic as I was I expected more of religious people But

In the ancient world hospitality was not merely a point of etiquette it was a requirement for survival in a perilous world There were no general stores and travelers depended upon the goodwill of others for food shelter and necessary supplies while they were on a journey The custom assured str

Although it is not Trinity Sunday the readings for today invite us to reflect on the mystery of our triune God and on the way of living to which intimacy with God calls us It is really the psalm that sets the stage for our reflections It summons us to praise God for the goodness shown us ldquo T

quot You rsquo re my best friend rdquo ldquo You rsquo re my favorite teacher rdquo ldquo I love you more than anyone else in the world rdquo Who does not appreciate hearing sentiments like these They tell us that we are special they indicate that our particular uniqueness is recognized a

The response of the world at the death and funeral of Pope John Paul II was a sight to behold Throngs of people of every religious affiliation gathered in Rome and in cities all over the world to show their respect Particularly obvious was the participation of young people Why was this man so lov

We are bombarded with talk of love Advertisements capitalize on it with inspiring scenes and gestures music extols its virtues and greeting cards convey tender sentiments And yet there seems to be so little genuine love in the world Perhaps this is because we do not think that some people have

I have always found the aroma of bread freshly baked very comforting That smell always makes me feel somehow at home Perhaps it is because bread is such a staple of life Furthermore it is difficult to limit oneself to a single piece of bread that has just been taken out of the oven It is almost