The gospel . . . asks Christians to detach themselves from material goods, which are for the most part illusory, and to do their duty faithfully, constantly aspiring to heaven. May the believer remain alert and watchful to be ready to welcome Jesus when he comes in his glory. More »

Fire and division—two powerful images packed into one brief passage of scripture. Sometimes, it can be difficult not to question God’s compassion when he speaks to us through such dark images! More »

Our curiosity about the authors of the New Testament always seems to outrun the sparse information that survived the church’s early years of dispersion and persecution. Nevertheless, we do have this brief description of the man behind the Third Gospel in an anonymous manuscript dating back to about 160 a.d. More »

Psalm 121. Israel—that is, all the faithful people of God—can always rely on God’s protection. A Song of Ascents. More »

Leprosy was a dreaded disease in biblical times. Besides suffering physical disability and disfigurement, a person afflicted with leprosy was considered ritually unclean and was forbidden to come into contact with people who were healthy (Leviticus 13:45-46). Segregated from society, those suffering from leprosy lived on the outskirts of towns and begged for alms, relying on charity for their survival. More »

Most of the gospel readings for Sundays are taken from the Gospel of Luke. In his gospel, and in his Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke loves to tell stories about how God empowers people to experience a deep conversion—to repent of their sins, change their lives, and believe in Jesus Christ. More »

Paul’s distress over the state of the Galatians is evident in these impassioned words. However, while Paul had become exasperated with the Galatians, he did not walk away from them. More »

At the core of Thérèse’s spirituality was her awareness of Jesus’ invitation to intimacy with him in which heart speaks to heart. More »