The Word Among Us

February 2011 Issue

Treasures in Earthern Vessels

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Publisher's Letter

We have all had our moments of joy and our moments of sadness, our moments of triumph and our moments of defeat. These ups and downs are simply part of life in this world. In Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians, we can see this great apostle dealing openly with one of the more difficult moments of his life. More »

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Conflicts in Corinth

We all love the saints. We love the way Francis of Assisi embraced poverty. Mother Teresa’s commitment to Christ moves us deeply. And of course, there’s the Virgin Mary, who perfectly lived out her prayer: “May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). More »

Live in the Light!

People have always gone to great lengths to pursue a treasure. Think of the man in Jesus’ parable who sold all he owned just to buy one beautiful, valuable pearl. Or think about all the movies in which a young man gives up everything to win over the woman of his dreams. Or think of the athlete who sacrifices all of his time and energy just to win the gold medal. More »

Flawed but Gifted

St. Catherine of Siena once said: "If you are what you should be, you will set the world on fire." This is our challenge in life—to become the people God created us to be. And yet, as noble as these words sound, we all struggle in some way or other to live them out because of our flaws and weaknesses. More »

Stand Amazed at God’s Power

Archbishop. Scholar. Power Broker. Doctor of the Church. All of these words could be used to describe St. John Chrysostom (c. 349-407). But despite all his talents and influence, Chrysostom’s life story could more accurately be seen as a reflection of Paul’s statement that believers hold a vast treasure in an earthen vessel (2 Corinthians 4:7). More »

Special Feature

A Samurai’s Noble Death

Paul Miki saw sparkling Nagasaki harbor coming into view. The six-hundred-mile trek from the Japanese capital of Kyoto through the cold and snow was nearly over. It had taken almost one month. More »

They Are All God’s People

He was standing by the dumpster in the early morning light, a tall man with matted hair and dirty clothes that smelled of urine. I could hardly believe my eyes. “Roger, I’m so glad to see you!” I cried, throwing my arms around his neck. “Where have you been?” It seemed like a resurrection. More »

Power, Life, and Promise

He careened out the garage door and down the steps—a little guy with a Marine hair-cut that belied his vulnerability. He was en route to one of those endless carpools he endured as our family’s youngest child. More »