The responsorial psalm for today’s liturgy asks us to pray with Psalm 15. Even though you may not have done so in the past, count up the different criteria for a person who is worthy of living on God’s holy mountain in God’s tabernacle. Interestingly enough, it is a set of ten different admonitions, dare I say “commandments,” some of which mirror the traditional...
Usually people respond to St. Matthew's parable about the workers in the vineyard by saying, "That just isn't fair. People who work all day long should be paid more than people who work a single hour."
It almost goes without saying!
However, the parable isn't about fair wages. The parable was meant to respond to Peter's question which was asked a few verses before this parable begins....
The thirteenth chapter of St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians would almost certainly rank as in the top five favorite passages on most lists. It is by far the shortest chapter in this letter and stands alone, needing no introduction and no explanation. It was the first reading for yesterday’s liturgy for Ordinary Time, but we Franciscans were busy celebrating the Feast...
I am sure that Pope Francis experiences a dilemma every September 17. In the General Roman Calendar and in the particular calendar of the Jesuits, September 17 is the memorial (feast) of St. Robert Bellarmine. For Franciscans September 17 is the Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi. The incident is reported in most of the major biographies of St. Francis. ...
I presume that the audience of my blogging is very familiar with the stories surrounding the martyrs of the early Church. If you went to Catholic school in the 1950’s, you no doubt heard the stories of such saints. If you were like me, you might even have wondered whether you would have had the strength to cling to your faith if your life was threatened. These men and...