Category: Faith & Spirit

This is a very difficult parable to interpret. It is found only in Luke and not in the other gospels. Not found probably because it seems that Jesus is praising dishonesty. Over the centuries, scholars have offered several explanations of why Jesus praises a dishonest …

There are several common beliefs of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Among them is the notion of a Last Judgement. It is a Theme of both of today’s readings. No major religion pretends to know when such a judgement will take place. That hasn’t stopped individuals …

In the church calendar, there are only 5 weeks left until the end of the year. The new church year will begin November 29th, the first Sunday of Advent. This past year, we have been learning the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem in Luke. Chronologically, …

One of the more popular titles of Jesus is “Prince of Peace”. It was actually taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and given to Jesus after his death. He himself rejected that title, at least in today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke; …

That particular saying comes from ancient Roman law. The Purpose of the saying is to avoid anyone charged with a crime from claiming they didn’t know what they did was against the law. For example, someone caught texting while driving in Idaho can’t say they …

There’s a famous scene in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Huck has run away, with the slave Jim.  They are on a raft, floating down the Mississippi River in order to reach a free state where Jim can be freed.  The book was written …

There are two St. Teresa’s in the Calendar of the Catholic Church. Both were Carmelite nuns, both are canonized saints, and Doctors of the Church, as well as both have feast days in October. One was born in Spain; the other was born in France. …

Anyone who has a dog or especially a cat knows they seem to see things we cannot see. Clearly, they hear and smell many times greater than humans. They also see in ultraviolet, which is invisible to humans. The lens of the human eye blocks …

Today’s short gospel is literally in the middle of Luke’s gospel. It marks a turning point in the life of Jesus. In the 1st half of the gospel, all the action is near Jesus’ hometown, in the north, near the Sea of Galilee. Now, in …

Human slavery has existed in almost every culture and religion since ancient times to the present day. At the beginning of the 19th century, nearly ¾ of all persons then alive were trapped in slavery against their will. In any form, the very idea that …