“No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” (Lk 16:13) There’s an old expression, “no man on his deathbed ever wished he had spent more time at the office.” It’s a way of reinforcing the advice that Jesus gives us today. The question boils down to this: what is the most important thing in our lives? Most of us wouldn’t have a hard time saying that two things in our lives are incredibly important: our families and our friends. These are the people that we can count on. And to them we devote a lot of time. And when it comes to money? Well, that’s one of those necessary evils of life. We need it to survive, but I don’t think any of us would consider it our “god.” But … [Read more...]

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Lk 15:2b) Jesus was often criticized during His earthly ministry. He was criticized for breaking Mosaic law (curing on the Sabbath). He was criticized for fraternizing with a woman (the woman at the well). He was criticized for being a glutton and a drunkard (contra John the Baptist). And He was criticized for blasphemy (for forgiving sins). But one of the most frequent criticisms of Jesus was that He ate and drank with sinners. Sometimes, we can use that criticism to justify our own conduct. So what’s the big deal if I hang out with sinners? Jesus did the same thing! There is a different reality: God came to save His people from their sins. The name “Jesus” means “God saves.” God sent us His Son to save us from the darkness of sin and … [Read more...]

“If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26-27). What does it mean to be a Christian? The word was first used by St. Luke in Acts 11:26, where he recounts that: “it was at Antioch that the disciples [of Jesus] were called ‘Christians’ for the first time.” So being a Christian means being a disciple (from the Greek word for “pupil”) of Christ. If you read the Scriptural quote above, then Jesus has some pretty high standards for those who would choose to be His disciple. A disciple must “hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life” and he must … [Read more...]

For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. (Lk 14:11). What is humility? The word origin comes from the Latin word “humus,” which means “dirt.” It can have negative connotations as being “lowly” or “abased,” but Catholics tend to see humility as a virtue. And the reason for that? It’s because Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is the epitome, the essence of humility. He came from the highest station possible: He is the Lord, the Creator of the Universe, the Word made Flesh, the Alpha and the Omega. And from the highest station, He chose the lowliest station on Earth. He was born in a stable. He grew up in one of the smallest backwaters of the Middle East. He became an “itinerant” preacher, and had nowhere to lay his head. He owned nothing … [Read more...]

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. (Lk 1:46-49). What does it mean to be “famous”? One clue is found in the origin of the word “fame,” which comes from a Greek word that means “talked about.” In our modern culture, being famous usually means being on television, where many people can come to recognize you. Being “famous” means that a person is talked about. But something interesting might happen when you actually meet a “famous” person. They might be exactly like you thought they would be, or you might be surprised how they’re different. Being famous can be good or bad. Read … [Read more...]

There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, ‘Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!’” But God said to him, “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God. (Lk 12:18b-21). A few years ago I spoke to a Catholic group in Baton Rouge.  Although my talk was about the Apostolicity of the Church (being founded on the Apostles and the current bishops being their successors), at the end a man asked me a question about clerical celibacy.  “Father, why do priests have to be celibate” was the simple question.  Unfortunately, celibacy is … [Read more...]

“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Lk 11:9-10) per·se·ver·ance?[pur-suh-veer-uhns] –noun 1.steady persistence in a course of action, a pur-pose, a state,etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. 2.Theology . continuance in a state of grace  to the end, leading to eternal salvation. Anything that’s worth doing requires perseverance.  The Latin verb “perseverare” is  composed of two words: “per” meaning “through”; and “severare” meaning “to be severe or strict.”  So perseverance means to achieve something through being strict.  And the obvious object of the … [Read more...]

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said,  “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?  How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 10:25-27) If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Would you ask about the future?  Would you ask for the next Powerball number? Next year’s Superbowl Champion? Or perhaps you’d want to know about something from the past. Why did Katrina hit us?  Why did my Dad have to die?  Perhaps you’d want to know the answer to something current.  Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the cure for cancer or … [Read more...]

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said,  “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law?  How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Lk 10:25-27) If you could ask God one question, what would it be? Would you ask about the future?  Would you ask for the next Powerball number? Next year’s Superbowl Champion? Or perhaps you’d want to know about something from the past. Why did Katrina hit us?  Why did my Dad have to die?  Perhaps you’d want to know the answer to something current.  Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the cure for cancer or … [Read more...]

Brothers and sisters: For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1) As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day next week, we might reflect a little bit about what it means to be “free.” In the context of the Fourth of July holiday, freedom means being separated from the political control of a king as had been the case prior to the American revolution. But “freedom” means many things. Webster’s Dictionary has a very lengthy definition of freedom. In part it reads: “a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous.” In all of these … [Read more...]