Solemnity While today’s Solemnity was not celebrated in the Church until the 13th Century, the reason for the celebration dates back to the very beginnings of our faith, Holy Thursday.    On that occasion, the emphasis was on the institution, the gift of the Eucharist …

Today we come to the final reading from this letter as Paul continues to defend his credentials as an Apostle of Christ to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Paul says: “It is necessary to boast…” He says this though “nothing is to be gained by …

We academics all have something called a “curriculum vitae” (CV) – a form of resume listing our training, our faculty and administrative appointments, the papers we have written, the grants we have successfully competed for, the honors and prizes we have received. We use …

It is clear in today’s first reading (2 Corinthians 11:1-11) that Paul is feeling misunderstood in his mission of preaching the good news, frustrated in his attempts to invite us into a personal relationship with Christ, and through Christ, to God.  It is no …

In today’s first reading (2 Corinthians 9:6-11) Paul continues his exhortation to the Corinthians to be generous. He begins with a kind of proverb: skimpy sowing means skimpy reaping: “…the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully …

In today’s gospel story, Jesus tells his disciples to be “unusual”. (Matthew 5:43-48). “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, …

On June 16, 1976, nearly ten thousand black students from Soweto, South Africa, woke up and prepared to join a march in protest against the apartheid regime.  They were speaking out against the discrimination they suffered at school as black children and the poor …

When I think of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, I am reminded of an old African folk tale that speaks of three blind men who examine an elephant to try to determine what sort of animal it might be. One takes hold …

In today’s first reading (2 Corinthians 5:14-21) Paul continues his self-defense in a spirit not of antagonism, but of reconciliation. He tells the Corinthians of the force that is behind everything he does and says: “For the love of Christ urges us on, because …

Having yesterday presented an impressive picture of the Christian as someone brighter than Moses’ reflecting the glory and beauty of God’s Word, Paul now goes on to the paradox which this situation raises (2 Corinthians 4:7-15). He confronts the difficulty that his present existence …