At heart, Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees of insincerity and hypocrisy. They are using religion as a means of puffing themselves up, as a means of attaining authority, respect, and prosperity. In the process, they are perverting the understanding of the law – the Torah – which is not merely an interminable list of...Read More
As you recall, that reading pertains to the last leg of the Israelites’ journey out of Egypt, through the desert, and into the promised land, that land flowing with milk and honey. We see how once again God parted the waters so that the Ark of the Covenant, borne by the priests, could precede the...Read More
And what fruit can we expect once the seed of God’s Word is planted in the fertile soil of our hearts? None other than the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.Read More
Dear friends, in the mystery of the Transfiguration, the humanity of Jesus shone with the glory of God. In that moment, it was revealed that Jesus’ humanity was the original sacrament of his divinity. In fact, the sacraments of the Church are patterned on the Transfiguration.Read More
And all of us who are part of the family of the Knights of Columbus carry in our hearts the living memory of the founder of our beloved Order, the Venerable Servant of God, Father Michael J. McGivney. Etched in our hearts is the example of this devoted parish priest who poured out his life...Read More
I hope you’ll agree – it’s been a wonderful Convention. And it has been a special pleasure for us to be here in St. Louis, a city with such deep Catholic roots, a local church with a strong missionary spirit, an Archdiocese that is the Church’s ‘gateway to the West’.Read More
Wisdom and understanding are gifts of the Holy Spirit given at Baptism, gifts that are increased and deepened in us through the Sacrament of Confirmation. Among other things, these gifts help us sort through our priorities as expressed in our daily work, our family relationships, and so much more – to see if we are...Read More
If the quality of our inner soil is poor, then we must take remedial action first and foremost by making good use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation by which weeds of sin, the thorns of daily cares, & the stones of hatred are removed. In this Sacrament we “give God permission” to remove from our...Read More
The Society of San Sulpice is blessed with a living charism and heritage well-suited for the times that are unfolding before us. Father Olier bequeathed to you and to the whole Church a beautiful vision of priestly formation & spirituality, as relevant today as it was then.Read More
While “The Keepers” does not accurately reflect the actions of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, it does highlight what is most important to me for the victims of Joseph Maskell and that is their own personal healing.Read More
Now, the Lord looks upon us with love. In this moment of Eucharistic worship when we give thanks for the God-given gift of religious freedom, let us ask the Lord to restore in us this gift and help us use it well and wisely. It is all too easy to allow the freedom with which...Read More
Key to preaching the Gospel with courage and love is our daily conversion as priests, our striving for personal holiness. When our lives are attuned in all respects to the saving will of God the Father, then our tongue is loosened; then we preach with the credibility of a living witness, and our proclamation bears...Read More