Isn’t it a bit weird that Catholics call the Pope “papa,” father? This Sunday provides us with essential Scriptural background on the papacy, the petrine office.
He is Calling
A man at my parish was struggling to overcome a habitual sin. He said to me, “Father, I know the chance that I will commit sin again is really high. Why should I keep confessing my sins? Isn’t that dishonest?”
Feast of the Transfiguration
The Book of Daniel may appear to be prophetic in nature, but it is actually an example of a literary genre known as “Apocalyptic,” which was popular during the period from about 200 B.C. to 100 A.D. This was a time of stress and persecution for Jews and, later, for Christians.
If I Asked God for Something
In today’s first reading, God appears to Solomon in a dream, saying He will give him anything Solomon asks for. Solomon answers God in a fascinating way.
Are We Little Enough?
The very beginning and the very end of our Gospel today, that being the Gospel Acclamation: “Blessed are you Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom” and the very end of Matthews Gospel: “Whoever has ears ought to hear,” both should leave us wondering if we are little enough and do we hear what Jesus is trying to tell us.
Far Greater Can Await Us
Our first reading from 2nd Kings is an interesting story about the prophet Elisha and a Shunammite woman who showed him hospitality. On the surface, it would appear that the golden thread this week is hospitality, but it goes deeper than that.
The Unbreakable Bond
The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of our faith, but it is a mystery that is beyond human reason. We cannot understand the Trinity intellectually; we can only grasp the concept of one God in three persons through faith.
The Shepherd’s Voice
I sometimes wonder why Jesus uses the examples He does in his parables and why the Bible can appear so tedious to read through in some parts (see 1 Chronicles).
The Early Church
Once again, our first reading this week comes from St. Luke’s: “The Acts of the Apostles” rather than from the Old Testament, as is the case on most Sundays.
Doubting Thomas
Divine Mercy Sunday was established by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000, in recognition of visions received by Sr. Faustina Kowalska of Poland in the 1930’s in which Jesus promised an overflow of Divine Mercy on the Sunday after Easter.









