Have you ever tried to clean a sidewalk, a driveway, or a concrete patio? Of course, scrubbing and scrubbing with hot water will wipe away some of the dirt, but if you want to restore it to its original whiteness, you need something more. In many cases, a good dose of bleach will do a fine job—and often with far less labor on your part. All you have to do is pour out the cleaning solution and spray it with a blast of water. Then, almost miraculously, the dirt rolls right off, and the concrete is as good as new. Continue »

1000 hours (10:00 a.m.): I am traveling with a military convoy, making pastoral visits to the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. First stop is their Forward Operating Base (FOB) in a central Iraq town. I set up for Mass in a corner of the busy area where the Marines eat, recreate, and do triage for the wounded. Continue »

"The parable challenges the attitude and behavior of the listeners. The question is addressed to them: are you jealous because I am good for your neighbors? This question challenges them to allow such a God into their life." —Jan Lambrecht, SJ, "Out of the Treasure: The Parables in the Gospel of Matthew" Continue »

Imagine a young father coming home from work. As he walks up the driveway, his three-year-old son spots him through the front window of their home. Continue »

The gospel of the resurrection of Lazarus . . . concerns the last "sign" fulfilled by Jesus, after which the chief priests convened the Sanhedrin and deliberated killing him, and decided to kill the same Lazarus who was living proof of the divinity of Christ, the Lord of life and death. Continue »

Moses was frightened and daunted by the task God set out for him: to return to Egypt as an old man, to confront the authorities, and to lead the Hebrew people to a promised land. He questioned God about this choice, desperately trying to find a way to elude the mission. Continue »