Who wants to hear bad news? A parent finds a child standing in the kitchen next to an empty cookie jar with crumbs on his shirt. The parent asks, “Who ate...

We need a prophet badly. . . . “The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” While young Samuel appears unprepared to hear from the...

As Paul travels through Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey, he encounters a group of twelve disciples who know of John the Baptist but not Jesus. Because they have never heard of the...

Tradition holds that Paul wrote Ephesians while imprisoned in Rome. His experience as a prisoner underscores the contrast between bondage and freedom found throughout his teachings. It also establishes a contrast...

In modern life, time has become primarily a quantitative measure. “How much time is left?” we ask. Yet we also talk about having a bad time or a good time, which...

As we age, we can become obsessed with the past, how things used to be. But Simeon looks forward to the deliverance of Israel. His mindfulness of God’s promises and hopefulness...

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither!” (Ps. 137:5). This verse recalls the importance of the city of Jerusalem within the Bible. Christians focus so much on...

Faith sometimes leads believers to focus on spiritual realities to the neglect of earthly cares. The psalmist never does so. For the psalmist, a vital awareness of God reminds believers of...

As one year turns to the next, we naturally reflect on the passage of time. The seconds tick away and are gone. Each moment of our lives is finally temporary. The...

As a servant to a faith community, I have the privilege of presiding at the sacraments that commemorate events across the span of life. I am there for baptisms, confirmations, weddings,...