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The couple we heard about in that first reading, Abraham and Sarah, welcomed three men to their desert tent not knowing they had welcomed God. And because they had shown such wonderful hospitality to these travelers, God—in the disguise of these strangers—promises them they will have a child. In time they did have a child and were delighted. It’s not quite that way in the gospel story of Mary and Martha that we just heard. Martha seems to be offering ...

A pig and a chicken were walking down the road. As they passed a church, they notice that a potluck charity breakfast was under way. Caught up in the spirit, the pig suggested to the chicken that they each make a contribution. “Great Idea!” the chicken cried. “Let’s offer them ham and eggs!” “Not so fast.” said the pig. “For you, that’s just a contribution, but for me, it’s a total commitment.”

The Scripture readings today are all about commitment, total ...

Every weekend an elderly man sits through the entire Mass at the back of the church with his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face.  He doesn’t open his mouth to sing nor pray, not even the “Our Father.”  I’m sure if I did a little digging, I would find Oscar the Grouch, from Sesame Street, adorning his family coat of arms.  There is also a woman, a bit younger than the Grouch, who, out of ...

There must have been something important about this story of Jesus feeding the multitude, because it is repeated six times in the four gospels. I don’t think the point of it was to be a one-off, a one-time miracle that happened 2000 years ago never to be repeated again.  Nor do I think Jesus was out to prove that, as the Son of God, he and he alone had the power to pull this off. Like all miracles, it was meant ...

Throughout the world Catholics, in particular, and Christians, in general, are celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. To define the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is only somewhat helpful for our spiritual development. It’s nice to have an analogy like the three lobes of a clover, like St. Patrick was supposed to have used, but what I really want to know is how Trinity functions in my life and in the life of the world. That would ...

Pentecost is traditionally called the “birthday of the Church.” Something definitely came to birth on that first Pentecost. What can we say about the Holy Spirit, especially as it relates to how we try to live our faith?

One of the things the Spirit did at Pentecost, and has not stopped doing ever since, is create intimacy. I remember being at Mass 30 years ago at the L’Arche community where I was spending a summer. The late Fr. Henri Nouwen was ...

I don’t expect you to remember it, but last Sunday’s gospel was the gospel writer John’s version of the Last Supper. However, in John’s gospel there is no Last Supper per se but, instead there is the story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet and giving them a long farewell speech. In that long speech, he says something that sounds like double talk. He says, “I am going away, and I am coming to you” all in the one sentence. It sounds like Jesus ...