Sunday Readings

... 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.

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.

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.

Those who live according to the flesh won’t follow him. Those who try to impress with wealth, position or prestige won’t follow him. Will we?

It causes codependent relationships, changes our views of abortion and marriage, and builds habits that shut Jesus out of our lives altogether.

Why are the sins that lead to death “out, loud, and proud” — while the faith that leads to joy crouches in the closet, filled with shame and self-loathing?

The Gospel reading is a plea for help from a world that longs for the Church. Will the Church respond?

Love does extreme things, but it is hard to imagine something more extreme than what God does in the Eucharist. Our response has to go to extremes too.