In this imperfect world, we often find that theory and reality don’t always see eye to-eye. For instance, we can know in a theoretical way that our old life of sin was crucified with Christ and that through faith in the cross we can be set free from the power of sin. More »

With the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis, it seems that the Catholic Church, and perhaps the role of religion in general, is in the midst of a larger narrative, even larger than what the secular media are saying. More »

Jesus’ words (Matthew 9:9) can sound so curt, but Matthew couldn’t refuse the invitation—or the other invitations that Jesus would give him throughout his life. At first, it was an invitation to receive Jesus’ mercy and a new life. More »

“There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. More »

Isn’t it amazing the way Scripture turns so many things upside down? The meek inherit the earth, while the proud are humbled and brought low. It’s only in dying that we find life. Those who are last become the first. Over and over again in Scripture, things are not what they seem, and the more time we spend reading the Bible, the more paradoxes we seem to find. More »

As I was growing up, my family could have said, with the disciples of John the Baptist whom Paul discovered at Ephesus, “We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:2). More »

I remember seeing a billboard once that showed a graphic portrayal of Jesus suffering on the cross. Underneath was the caption “Be a priest like me.” It was a startling message for vocations. More »

The lottery jackpot had climbed to an astounding $365 million. All over the country, people tried to increase their odds of winning at least a piece of the pie by banding together and buying tickets in large quantities. More »