When I was growing up, my family lived close to a cemetery. I have to admit, I used to enjoy taking walks around the place. It was always so peaceful, and it made me wonder about the stories behind the…

This week’s Gospel reading begins with a question posed by the Pharisees: “Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?” This is supposed to be a test for Jesus. There were differing schools of thought on the matter,…

I have been a huge Star Wars fan since I first saw the original movie 30 years ago. As a kid, it was not unusual to imagine a whiffle ball bat was a lightsaber and a squirt gun a laser pistol.

In…

Ever since the days of the early Church, the Old Testament has played a key part in preaching and worship. The epistles of Peter and Paul make that pretty clear. Read also the works of the Church Fathers (St. Ambrose’s…

Last summer, as I was preparing for the journey to World Youth Day in Australia, I remember checking my suitcase over and over again to make sure I had everything I needed for the two-week trip. It made for a…

There is a sign on the sacristy wall of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Basilica in Emmitsburg, Md., which reads, “Priest of God, celebrate this Mass as if it were your first Mass, your last Mass, your only Mass.” It is…

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul passes on a little catechetical formula, which he himself received from the early Church: “I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins…

The tag line for the 1970s film Love Story reads, “Being in love means never having to say you are sorry.” With all due respect, whoever wrote that was obviously never in love a day in his life.

No matter how dear…

I guess I never really appreciated how much of a gift faith really is until I read something about an atheist who said he would be willing to believe in God only if he could see just one single piece…

This week’s Gospel presents us with two startling occurrences. The obvious one is the healing of the paralytic, a miracle that goes beyond just the physical dimension: “That you may know that the Son of man has authority to forgive…