The call of Saul by God to lead the Israelites, is a surprise – and presumably unlikely – because he comes from the least and smallest tribe of the Israelites.  The call of Levi in the Gospel passage from Mark's Gospel ...

|Devotion to the heart of Christ, as a symbol of God's perfect love for all humanity, lives deeply within the tradition of mystical or spiritual theology in the Christian Tradition.  The passage in John's Gospel, close to ...

As I reflected on the celebration liturgy of the Feast of the Annunciation during the Season of Lent, it becomes evident that the Feast subtly intends to shed light on the whole mystery of the Incarnation and the salvation ...

Today's readings give us a clear message that the Lord is not happy with us if we are driven by fear rooted in lack of trust in God.  In fact, we are told, God rewards behavior that is bold and confident in His compassion. |In ...

Today's liturgical readings, at first reflection do not seem to have a great deal of thought continuity.  The first text from Exodus is a kind of litany of God's great deeds, designed to stir up the gratitude of the ...

There are many comments in Christian history about how challenging it is to live with, or to live in close friendship with, a saint. Recognized saints – those who have been officially canonized by the Church or, in earlier ...

The opening prayer of today's Mass asks God to conform the Church to the paschal mystery of Christ.  What does it mean for us who make up the Church to be conformed to the mission, death, and resurrection of Christ?  How ...

Modern Scripture scholarship has exposed a remarkably false tradition about Mary of Magdala.  For many centuries Mary has been confused with the unnamed "sinful woman" who anointed Jesus' feet in the home of the Pharisee ...

The overall focus of Ordinary Time Liturgy is the work of Christ in accomplishing the Father's mission.  We spend this lengthy period each year trying to understand and put into practice the pattern of God's work in God's ...

Today's Feast dates from the 15th Century in the Western Church but was celebrated throughout the Catholic East from the 3rd Century on. It came into the Western calendar following the Crusades and was celebrated as a way ...