In a gathering, once upon a time, a Catholic priest was getting a good-natured ribbing from a friend: “You Catholics,” the friend quipped, “divide the world to conquer it.”

“It’s true,” the priest answered back, “we feel like we own…

Jesus’ very last words in the Gospel of Matthew form a basis for the foundation and structure of the Church: “Behold, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.”  As He says these words to the…

Every year, following the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Church in the United States celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week , this year from January 10-16. This week is set aside to call to mind that we…

As we once again journey through the Advent season, at least part of me always wonders what was going through Mary’s mind during that journey.  The somewhat haunting refrain of a popular carol asks: ‘Mary did you know that your…

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a conference sponsored by the Coming Home Network focused on the issue of papal authority in the Church: how it developed and what it means for the Church today. The main focus of…

Known for the way he developed the interplay between light and darkness in his paintings, the Italian master Caravaggio has had a lasting impact in the world of art since his troubled life ended nearly 400 years ago.  His…

We have been examining the development of priestly identity in the Jewish Scriptures over these last few months, culminating my last column with Jesus fulfilling the Passover rituals during His entrance into glory through His Paschal mystery.

Even…

In my last column, the element of sacrifice in Jewish worship was discussed. As Catholics, we see the Old Testament illuminating and clarifying the New, but with the passage of time, we have lost some important details that…

As the Israelites moved from a nation on the move to settling in cities in the newly conquered Promised Land, one of the first desires was to build a suitable house for the Lord, as David desires in Second…

In my last column, Melchizedek was upheld as the first model of priesthood in the Scriptures. This initial model was rather short lived, unfortunately. During the Exodus, the Tribe of Levi claimed the priestly responsibilities of the…