In our mail, we constantly receive letters requesting money for various causes. One this week that I found interesting was from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. Although it was addressed to “Dear Faithful Catholic,” I read it anyway. It made me all the more appreciative of God’s calling and the opportunity…

A literal translation of the Hebrew text for Genesis chapter 3, verse 5 reads, “… the tree was desirable for causing insight …” This is an important aspect of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We are left to ascertain that Eve arrived at this conclusion by her conversation with the serpent.…

There is probably not any sane person alive that does not want to be happy. It may well be a universal desire. Is happiness, though, an accurate descriptor of the state of humankind, for the most part, today? The vast majority would probably agree that there is very little to be happy about today as…

It is possible that the Apostle Paul would not be very surprised to see what the Church of God is currently experiencing. In his day, Paul had to contend with elements within the Church bringing in the influence of some of their past history and experiences with them. Many Greeks who came into the Church…

Why is violence becoming such an established part of everyday life? This question is broad since violence occurs within families, in the local community, in our cities, and across the national spectrum. It can be an assault, a riot in a major city, a mass shooting, or road rage. Murder rates in the largest U.S…

Are you a hopeful person? In other words, as you look to the future, do you anticipate good things? We might (or might not) say, “Yes, I am hopeful but possibly not as hopeful as I should be.” That statement might fit a fair percentage of us. The fact is, however, that we can each…

As we move along on our annual Holy Day journey, let’s be sure to carry the things we have rehearsed forward with us. For example, in the instruction regarding the wave sheaf offering, Israel was told, “You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought…

–> This weekend we consider aspects associated with Christ building His Church. In particular, we think about what being a part of the body of Christ means to us as individuals. We are clearly moving deeper into events that shape the end of the age – that period of time that Christ said would be…

–> In Deuteronomy 32 we find the parting words of Moses written as a song which he openly read to the entire congregation of Israel.  The purpose of the song was to “…proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God…” (verse 3) as the eternal “Rock” of the people of God.  In…

Henry Ward Beecher once said, “A helping word to one in trouble is often like a switch on a railroad track… an inch between a wreck and smooth, rolling prosperity.” There are proverbs that convey the very same principle, but the image of a horrific train wreck being averted by mere words is very powerful…

In the book of Matthew, Jesus Christ reassures His followers: “…and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). The question that we need to ask ourselves is, “Do we have the confidence in Christ and in God the Father to really believe His promise to be with…

God’s word instructs us to be very aware of what other members of the body are going through in their lives. “… members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it …” (1 Corinthians 12:25-26). Many members suffer negative experiences in life. James did…

We always reflect on the death of Christ at this season of the year. Movies have been made about that pivotal point in mankind’s history. A lot of focus, and rightly so, has been put upon the gruesome beating and resulting disfigurement that finally ended Christ’s physical life. Isaiah said this of it. “Just as…