In the last 9 days, we have celebrated feast days for three founders of the great Orders of Priests in the Catholic Church:  St. Ignatius Loyola (Jesuits, July 31st); St. Alphonsus Liguori (Redemptorists, August 1st); and St. John Vianney (August 4th.   OK, he …

Today’s readings bring into sharp focus the challenges that God’s chosen people face in trying to carry out the mission entrusted to them by God. Today we see a prophet’s depression in Elijah, a disciple’s grief in Paul and an apostle’s fear in Peter. …

Today’s readings seem to be focused on a question that bothers all of us at one time or another:  Why does God allow evil to happen?  Our first reading, from the Prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:12-2:4) consists of a dialogue between God and the prophet …

Today we have a single reading (Nahum 2:1,3,3:1-3,6-7) from the very short Book of Nahum (just three chapters). Nahum is one of the so-called ‘minor’ prophets, as opposed to ‘major’ prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. Nahum made his prophecy just before the …

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Accounts of the event are described in each of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; and Luke 9:28-36); and alluded to in John’s gospel (John 1:14) and in Peter’s second letter …

The Basilica of St. Mary Major is one of the oldest and most important churches in the world and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In fact, it was built at her request! According to tradition, a Roman Patrician, Giovanni, and his wife …

Today as we listen to the words of the scriptures, we are reminded of the need for us to trust in the Lord, in His promises and in His providence. We must listen to God and hold onto Him, and not to be easily …

We read today (Jeremiah 28:1-17) of the dispute with the false prophet, Hananiah. It is nice, of course, to hear encouraging words, but not if they are false and misleading, and that is what we see in today’s reading. Internal evidence seems to indicate …

An old man goes to a local diner every day for lunch. He always orders the soup du jour. One day the old man asks for a little more bread. The next day the manager tells the waitress to give him four slices of …

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? …