Writing to his close friend Timothy, St. Paul once said that Scripture is “useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). That’s a lot of uses for a two thousand-year-old book! I myself have found many of the same uses for the Bible. I enjoy reading Jesus’ parables and learning from them how God wants us to live. I also appreciate all that I can learn about the Bible by reading commentaries on some of my favorite passages. And I enjoy comparing the different ways that the four Gospel writers tell the same story. There’s so much to learn in the Bible—so much help I can get from it! More »

When he was a boy, Jack assumed everyone saw the world the way he did. He thought it was natural to have to strain his eyes to see the chalkboard at the front of the classroom. But then one day when he was in fourth grade, he tried on his friend’s new glasses and was amazed: he could see clearly for the first time! He realized that he needed glasses too. What he thought was normal vision really wasn’t. He didn’t have to go through life squinting! More »

In Luke’s Gospel, a woman from the crowd raises her voice and says to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed!” But Jesus replies, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:27, 28). More »

I wasn’t looking to do business with God on that October evening. I was on a business trip for the Fortune 500 company I’d been with for twenty years. Having moved up quickly through the ranks, I held a regional executive position, and my family lived comfortably. Life was good—except for the emptiness I felt from time to time. More »

My father and I did not have a perfect relationship or even good communication. I can’t attribute that to his thick Italian accent, since he spoke fluent English. “Daddy” (as I called him even in my adult years) was a hard worker, a good provider, a lover of fishing, music, and whistling; he respected God and his Catholic faith and was an honest businessman and a responsible family man. More »

As a priest, I have been fascinated by the different kinds of fathers I have encountered in the hearts of their children,” writes Fr. George Montague. That’s because “the father image is often the lens through which we view the world and the judgment we make on others.” Especially, this image has a tremendous effect—for good or ill—on the way we relate to our heavenly Father. More »