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Little did Adam and Eve think that their initial disobedience would have worldwide repercussions. First, their son Cain sadly follows their bad example and slays his brother Abel out of envy. Then, …
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6/2/22
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Undoubtedly one of the happiest decisions of the Second Vatican Council was the restoration of the diaconate to favorable status within Catholic parish life. The Diocese of Providence recently …
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5/26/22
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Certainly, the longest running feud within the Judaeo-Christian tradition is the struggle between faith and works. The first generation of Christians inherited from their Jewish ancestors a tendency …
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5/19/22
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The most recognizable emblem of Christianity is indeed the Cross. Church steeples, Catholic sanctuaries, and parish graveyards testify to Calvary’s solemn instrument of torture. The Cross holds …
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5/12/22
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From the days of Pope Pius IX, in the mid-nineteenth century, through the brief papacy of Pope St. John XXIII, mid-twentieth century, Roman Catholicism was, indeed, a centralized establishment. Pius …
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5/5/22
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A very joyous St. John shares a moment of personal satisfaction when his Book of Revelations records the worldwide praise accorded to God at the end of time: “Then I heard every creature in …
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4/28/22
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Although the Church’s official calendar follows St. Luke’s lead and celebrates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the infant Church on Pentecost Sunday, this coming Sunday’s …
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4/21/22
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Although the Far East nation of India is overwhelmingly Hindu, an ancient Christian church community has existed since Apostolic times along the country’s Malabar Coast. A very strong tradition …
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4/16/20
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At Bethlehem’s manger, Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh. St. John affirmed: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” St. Paul testified that Jesus was “a man like us …
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4/9/20
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The Jewish nation cited movingly by Isaiah in this coming Sunday’s Old Testament reading is lost in self-pity. Tormented by their stronger neighbors – Assyria, Babylon, Egypt – they …
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4/2/20
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Scripture scholars often discern seven signs in the first half of the Gospel according to St. John. Chapters 2 through 11 feature seven misfortunes — some just a matter of inconvenience, …
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3/26/20
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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 …
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3/19/20
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A Bible passage that is most challenging to Scripture scholars is the episode of Jesus encountering the Syrophoenician woman who begs a cure for her daughter (Mk 7:24-30). By any standards, the …
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3/12/20
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The Apostles Peter, James and John were singled out by Jesus Christ at least three times to witness major Biblical events that would both challenge and strengthen their understanding, their …
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3/5/20
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Very early in the Judaeo-Christian tradition the number 40 begins to take on a significance that will broaden and deepen as God continues to reveal his plans for mankind through celebrated Biblical …
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2/27/20
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Although St. Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” and St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Level Stretch” closely parallel one another, St. Matthew’s account stretches to …
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2/20/20
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In the United States, when one refers to “the Duke,” the allusion suggests John Wayne, the great cinematic hero of the last century. In the United Kingdom, when one mentions “the …
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2/13/20
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When President Kennedy left the Massachusetts Senate for the White House in Washington, he advised his fellow senators, “We must always consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill – …
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2/6/20
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Within weeks of my ordination, after the celebration of Mass at St. Charles parish in Woonsocket, a woman approached me at the altar rail and requested the ceremony of “churching.” This …
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1/30/20
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The Scriptural Holy Land, today most generally known as the Republic of Israel, was, in the time of Christ, easily divided into three portions. Judea, on the south bordering Egypt, was quite solidly …
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1/23/20
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