One of my more vivid memories of several years ago took place on a golf course in Chicago. I was golfing with my brother, Richard, when, seemingly apropos of nothing, Dick put his arm around my shoulder from the side and ...

Today's feast honors the gifted life of Alphonsus Rodriguez, a Jesuit Brother who served faithfully as sacristan and porter in the Jesuit community. A porter is one who watched over the front door of the community house ...

The first reading in today's liturgy is a beauty. It is a challenge to live out the Christ-life that is within us because we are persons baptized into Christ. This is an oft-repeated theme in the writings of Paul to the ...

Today's first reading from the Book of Exodus chronicles an important step in God's plan for saving His People. We are at the beginning of the book Exodus which continues the stories of the early men and women whose ...

The first reading in today's liturgy from the Prophet Isaiah is a strong indictment against those who offer the customary sacrifices, but do so without heart. It excoriates those who perform the niceties of the religious ...

What a beautiful passage in the first reading! Hosea imagines the love of God as that of a very tender father loving his child. The passage recalls what must be some of the most precious moments that parents enjoy in raising ...

Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene referred to as the "apostle to the apostles" because she is the first witness to the resurrection of Jesus. In our gospel reading today, Mary goes to Jesus' tomb early in the morning ...

Throughout Matthew's gospel Jesus presents his main teachings through the use of sermons and discourses. There are five such gospel sections presenting Jesus' teaching each of which is followed by events, miracle stories ...

As we near the end of the Easter season our liturgies have presented to us Jesus' words of farewell to his disciples recorded in John's gospel. Jesus' words are meant to strengthen the disciples in their faith, a faith ...

The reading today from St. John's gospel reminds me of the call to service that is the mark of being a disciple or Christ. Jesus insists on the service dimension as the key to being one of his disciples.||He expresses this ...