In answer to a challenge from the Sadducees, Jesus speaks of the children of God found worthy to attain to the coming age and the resurrection of the dead “…for they are like angels.” Was Jesus saying we will become angels when we die? Many people think so. But in factContinue Reading
In ancient Judea to be a tax collector was to be a sinner. A chief tax collector, like Zaccheus, was a chief sinner, as could be seen by his great wealth. This great wealth was achieved by collecting more in taxes than was due to the Roman government and pocketingContinue Reading
Saint Monica is one of the best examples we have of the power of consistent prayer and the way God answers those prayers. When her son Augustine came of age he told his mother that he had become a Manichean. Manichaeism was a pagan philosophical religion that directly contradicted Christianity.Continue Reading
In Jesus’ time there were a number of reasons an individual could be considered “unclean” and unable to act as a full member of the community. In all cases it was the responsibility of the priest to determine whether a person was “clean” and could once again take their placeContinue Reading
In 1571 Christian Europe was in chaos. The Protestant Reformation had broken the unity of the Church and the remaining Catholic kings fought amongst themselves for political advantage. In the midst of this confusion the Muslim empire of the Turks was once again threatening Europe. Their superior forces coupled withContinue Reading
In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, what sin did the rich man commit that condemned him? He wasn’t a thief, or a murderer, or even a liar. He appears to have been a good guy, wealthy, successful, with a large family whom he cared about. So whatContinue Reading
In the parable of the dishonest steward, Jesus appears to be praising unscrupulous behavior. But it is important to understand the parable in the context of the customs of the day. Wealthy merchants hired agents or stewards to conduct their business affairs. It was common for these agents to inflateContinue Reading
Is the loving God of the New Testament the same as the vengeful God of the Old? This is a popular criticism. But this attitude reveals more about the critic than it does about God. Like the Pharisees these critics try to remake God in their own image, so theyContinue Reading
Translation of scripture is an inexact science. There are times when an oddly translated word distracts us from fully comprehending the meaning of the passage. Jesus tells us that whoever does not hate father and mother cannot be His disciple. But in our culture the word “hate” carries very strongContinue Reading
What does it mean to live our lives with humility? As a virtue, humility is difficult to define. You cannot work to be humble because then you are trying to achieve something. You cannot practice humility for then you are trying to gain something. Humility is best defined by what itContinue Reading