Father John A. Kiley
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Jesus was undeniably a charitable person. His heart was troubled when he saw the crowds who were like sheep without a shepherd. His instinct was to feed the multitude in the wilderness rather than send them home unnourished. He was touched by the plight of the widow at Naim about the loss of her beloved son. more
The old saying famously advises, “Seeing is believing.” But a closer examination of this familiar phrase reveals that the coupling of these two participles is quite mistaken. Seeing is not believing; seeing is knowing. more
For many centuries even pious believers might have pondered why it was Eve rather than Adam who the ancient author of Genesis depicted as succumbing to the tempting serpent. By singling out Eve … more
In concluding his recent encyclical, The Light of Faith, Pope Francis observes that the faith life of the Christian is not only a journey, as recalled when the nomadic Abraham and Israelites were considered, but the life of faith is also a process of building. more
This weekend the Catholic world will consider two phases of the afterlife. The Solemnity of All Saints on Saturday reminds the faithful of those celebrated and sometimes uncelebrated heroes of the Christian life. The martyrs, monks, missionaries, mentors and married folk who dedicated their lives to Christ both in spirit and in deed are recalled, reverenced and now recruited as intercessors before the face of God. On Sunday, worshippers will recall their own beloved dead who perhaps have gone on to full glory or may still be in need of the Church community’s intercessory prayers to release them from the final residue of sin. Eternity, fully enjoyed by the saints and coveted by the souls in purgatory, should be an equally important part of the Gospel message for those believers still working out their ultimate destiny here on earth. more
When Pope Francis opened the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica to inaugurate the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the local press covered the event with celebratory good humor. However, in one local paper, … more
A young lady recently considered taking the Boy Scouts to court so she could apply for an Eagle Scout award like the one her brother had recently achieved. The girl argued that since the Girl Scouts … more
From St. Martin of Tours ripping his cloak in half to shelter a homeless wanderer through St. Vincent dePaul and his Daughters of Charity rescuing unwanted babies from the streets of Paris right up … more
Jesus must have been pleased upon returning to his home town of Nazareth to find his opening words delivered on a Sabbath at the local synagogue to be well received by his neighbors and … more
The parable of the Prodigal Son, unique to St. Luke’s Gospel account, would be better called the parable of the Merciful Father. St. Luke wisely includes this renowned tale in a single chapter with the parable of the Lost Sheep and the parable of the Lost Coin, which likewise would be better labeled the parable of the Dedicated Shepherd and the parable of the Zealous Homemaker. more
There are more than 900 churches in the city of Rome. Wikipedia curiously notes that “most, but not all, of these are Catholic.” Of these near thousand churches, 66 are designated as … more
The Perrys were a large family, ten children, who lived just across Route 95 from the former Sacred Heart Church in the Pleasant View section of Pawtucket. The children were very familiar to the … more
Pious Catholics often speak of various spiritualities — the spirituality of the priesthood, the spirituality of the religious life, the spirituality of marriage. more
The disciples, as many people still do today, thought that misfortune was a punishment sent from God for sins committed. “What did I do to deserve this?” is still a question asked of the … more
St. Ignatius of Antioch (35 – 110 A.D.) converted as an adult to Christianity and became the third bishop of Antioch, which is in present day Turkey, an office originally held by St. Peter the … more
Some time ago, a friend cited a liturgical commentator who pointed out that the post-Vatican II Mass celebrated according to the new rite of Pope Paul VI is not simply a revision of the old Roman Missal, the Tridentine Mass. more
The word “perfect” occurs only twice in the Gospel accounts, and both times it is St. Matthew who employs this superlative. In the account of the rich young man given a chance at discipleship, Jesus offers this challenge: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” In this coming Sunday’s Gospel passage from the celebrated Sermon on the Mount, Jesus urges his disciples, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” St. Luke for his part does include this last quote from Jesus, but in a slightly modified form. St. Luke recalls Jesus saying, “Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful,” or, as another translation reads, “Be compassionate, as your heavenly Father is compassionate.” Assessing all these quotations together, the reader may easily conclude that perfection consists in sensitivity toward the poor. Here the poor indicates not only the financially and materially impoverished, but also the emotionally and socially deprived. more
St. Luke and the Prophet Isaiah rival one another in their expansive thoughts on the prospect of salvation for the worldwide community. St. Luke even stretches the words of Jesus a bit when he claims … more
St. Ignatius of Antioch was perhaps only one generation removed from the Apostles. Some enthusiastically claim he was a disciple of St. John the Apostle. more
The Diocese of Providence invites representatives of religious congregations to speak each year in area parishes to raise funds for their missionary efforts. more
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