prayer

The real surprise in the Parable of the Laborers isn't who gets paid; it's why.

Jesus says to forgive the way you keep expecting everyone else to forgive you.

Jesus gives us extremely practical advice that we practically never follow. But if we did follow it, our conflict and tension would lead to brotherhood instead of leading nowhere.

... and Jesus gives a startling, paradigm-destroying answer to the major religious question that  people have faced for millennia.

The early Church knew as well as we do how much authority Peter and his successors were given. But they knew way better than us what sacrifice was demanded of him.

Imagine the pagan woman coming up to Jesus as a janitor butting into the CEO’s conversation outside the boardroom. That should be us at his altar each Sunday.

The Gospel about Jesus walking on the water works in two ways: It reveals how Jesus reaches to individual Christians and to the “barque of Peter”, the Church.

An often overlooked C.S. Lewis essay helped me understand the strange and startling story of Jesus glowing on a mountaintop, chatting with prophets.

St. Ignatius of Loyola’s greatest achievement, to my mind, is making deep spirituality available to ordinary people like you and me.

We Catholics get a literal treasure box, and an actual pearl of great price; we get dragged to the light and given untold real, practical wisdom.

We see so many weeds in the Church, leading others to sin. But there is al lot of wheat also, and tiny mustard seeds making gigantic gains.

The Parable of the Sower is a linchpin in the Extraordinary Story of Jesus Christ, showing us the place of Jesus in Christians and creation — and our place too.