Pontius Pilate would feel very much at home in our culture. His cynical question — “What is truth?” (Jn 18:38) — captures the prevailing mindset of our day. It provides a three-word summary of relativism — the view that objective…

We know very little about the people our Lord healed. We know he healed many, but we hear few details about them. And yet from each one of them we can learn something about ourselves and about the healing we…

It is probably not a sign of spiritual health when you agree with the Pharisees. We know that the Pharisees opposed our Lord in His ministry and message. Yet few of us would dispute their criticism that some of our…

In the “electronic age” we may not grasp the significance of a seal. After all, we will more likely hit the “send” button than seal and post a letter. We will sooner click “open” than break the seal of an…

Tucked away in a little room on the ground floor of the National Gallery of Art you will find a wonderful medieval sculpture called “Holy Kinship.” It depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph — and our Lord’s grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles…

We grow so accustomed to and familiar with certain things that we risk losing sight of their significance. “Familiarity breeds contempt,” the old saying goes. Not outright, malicious contempt, perhaps. But certainly such neglect and disregard that appear contemptuous. Such…

The WWJD trend began several years ago. “WWJD?” — What Would Jesus Do? — appeared on T-shirts, bracelets, necklaces, key chains, etc. The ubiquitous question prompts its readers to reflect on our Lord’s example before saying or doing something. The…

Someone important fails to make an appearance on Easter Sunday. Namely, the risen Lord Himself. In the Gospel for Easter Mass He is conspicuously absent. The angels speak of Him and of His resurrection, but He Himself does not appear.

The…

“He who serves the public serves a fickle master.” Thus does an old proverb teach us, and not without reason.

As we all learn eventually, the crowd is fickle. Its hero one moment becomes its villain the next. And vice versa.…