Sometimes it is hard to keep the people, places and events in the Scriptures straight.  Was it the prophet Elijah that did such-and-such or was it his student, the prophet Elisha?  Was it Elijah that raised from the dead the son of Zarephath’s widow? …

Doctor of the Church (354-430) Augustine was born in 354 in Tagaste, a modest Roman community in a river valley 40 miles (64 km) from the Mediterranean coast in Africa, near the point where the veneer of Roman civilization thinned out in the highlands …

Considering the devastating aftermath of the COVID virus on the world’s economy; staggering damage being done by fires and floods raging across large swaths of eastern and southern Asia, Russia, northern Africa, Europe, western and southern United States, Canada, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Mexico, and …

In the 23rd Chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus pronounces seven “woes” on the religious leaders of His day (the scribes and Pharisees).Prior to Jesus’ condemnation of the religious hypocrites, they had been following Him to test Him and try to trick Him with questions about …

We have been reading from the Old Testament for the past nine weeks. We began with the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis and went through selected passages from each of the first eight books of the Bible in order: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, …

Feast August 24 Today is the Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle.  According to three of the Gospels, his name was Bartholomew, but St. John calls him Nathanael.  By whatever name we call him, we do not know much about Bartholomew.  The First Reading (Revelation …

I have often said, in these Daily Reflections, that it sometimes is useful to read the entire chapter from which the day’s readings are taken. That is particularly true with today’s first reading (Isaiah 22:19-23).  Shebna has a rather lofty image of himself, in …

Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 23 (Matthew 23:1-12) brings to mind an earlier reading from Matthew 7.  In Matthew 7, Jesus admonishes us to not judge; and to not be concerned about the splinter in our brother’s eye when we have a wooden beam …

Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14) is one of my favorite stories in Scripture.  The vividness of its imagery, the wonder of its unfolding narrative, and visceral appeal of its symbolism endow it with a sort of “plug-and-play” appeal–even an …

Jesus is such a great teacher. His parables draw us in, have surprising elements and stunning lessons at the end. Jesus was well aware of Ezekiel’s preaching during the Exile that we have been hearing for the past few weeks. Ezekiel was full of …