The first reading and the Gospel are challenging texts about martyrdom and the absence of marriage in heaven. They point us to the world to come, which we reflect on at the end of each liturgical year. Our temptation when we think about heaven is to downplay the significance of this life. But it is […]
Today’s readings remind us how God works: gently and “little by little”. In the first reading from Wisdom, God is described as a great lover, one who revels in all He has created. So when we are drawn into sin, God cannot hate us, but reminds us constantly there is another way. Like a parent […]
The dynamic between of wealth and poverty in the Gospel is complex, and a homily is not a theology class. Life is messy, and even though God has promised us abundant life, that abundance isn’t without challenge. The caution to the wealthy and poor alike is that God wants to be invited into our suffering […]
There has been an evolution in our understanding of God’s justice in our salvation history. We have moved from believing that God will deliver us and destroy our enemies, to a truer belief in God who delivers us and our enemies from destroying ourselves and each other. War is almost never justifiable, and certainly never […]
Christian freedom is a gift that God offers us if we are open enough to receive it and willing to do some difficult emotional work. Paul offers us a powerful image of this freedom: he is actually imprisoned, and proclaiming that the chains cannot touch his heart, rising with Christ even while his body is […]