While the Pharisees would have us believe that they have based their conduct on the Torah, they seem to have forgotten the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis. The last verse of chapter one is very clear: “God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.”
Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, there have been several different heresies that have stated...
One of the more skillful aspects of St. Mark’s writing ability is his use of irony. Throughout the Gospel, we find examples of this figure of speech over and over again. Today’s Gospel text is one such example of St. Mark’s use of irony.
The Pharisees challenge Jesus and his disciples for not obeying the traditions of the elders. Usually, the Pharisees are challenging...
A Lenten Word – Let us set things right
I suppose that I could have simply used the word “right,” but the phrase itself has a simple ring to it, something that is easy to remember.
“Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD…” (Isaiah 1:18)
In Hebrew the phrase refers to the arbitration of legal disputes. God offers to settle his case with...
The Book of Job is the first book of what Scripture scholars call “Wisdom Literature.” Job’s story is obviously a parable, an extended parable. It begins with a scene from God’s heavenly throne room where all the angels have gathered before the Lord. Surprisingly, the Satan is among those who have gathered. (You might be asking yourselves why I use the definite article...
Each of us has probably been in a similar situation such as the one in which Solomon finds himself in the first reading for today’s liturgy. The first time we walk into a new job, the first time we walk into classroom or hospital, the first time we welcome a child into our lives, any of the many first times that we experience in life are all similar to the situation in which Solomon...