The Absence of God

Is this not, rather, the fast that I choose: / releasing those bound unjustly, / untying the thongs of the yoke; / Setting free the oppressed, / breaking off every yoke? / Is it not sharing your bread with the hungry, / bringing the afflicted and the homeless into your house; / Clothing the naked[read more]

Receiving Our Inner Child

For along the way the disciples had been discussing among themselves who is the greatest.  And Jesus sat down and called the Twelve and said to them:  “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”  And he took a child, stood him in their midst, embraced him,[read more]

Why Could We Not Cast It Out?

When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together he rebuked the unclean spirit and said to him:  “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you.  Go out from him, and never enter him again.”  And after shouting and convulsing him greatly it went out.  And he became like a dead man so that many[read more]

Faith and Works

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do[read more]

Appreciation and Mystery

But Jesus turned, looked at his disciples, and rebuked Peter saying: “Get behind me, Satan for your mind is not on the things of God but on the things of humans.” Mark 8:33 The eighth chapter of Mark is a  true revelation of our faith experience.  In it we have Peter both recognizing the truth[read more]

Be Doers of the Word

Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror.  He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.  But the one who[read more]

Temptation and Formation

No one experiencing temptation should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God is not subject to temptation to evil, and he himself tempts no one.  Rather, each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it[read more]

Seeking A Sign

The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.  He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign?  Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”  Then he left them, got[read more]