July 28, Prayer: a Sunday Scriptures blog

One of the most difficult and frustrating questions is “Why doesn’t God answer prayers?” It seems that today’s Scriptures assure us that God does! In the Hebrew Scripture reading, God listens to Abraham persuading him not to destroy a sinful city. In the Gospel, we have a double lesson on…

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July 14, Compassion: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Familiar to everyone who is connected with social justice is the story of villagers by a river, which goes something like this: One day a body floats down the river, and the villagers rescue it. The next day, more bodies begin to appear. The villagers continue to act responsibly and…

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July 7, Just Us: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Unique to Luke is today’s reading from his Gospel. The Lord appointed 72 others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs. It seems that the early Christian community enjoyed a wide array of lay leaders, men and women who were not apostles, who spread the good news. “Behold, I…

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June 30, Freedom: a Sunday Scriptures blog

By a happy accident, this coming Sunday’s Epistle from Galatians makes a good meditation for the week of our 4th of July holiday. “For freedom Christ set us free,” St. Paul says, “but do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather serve one another through love…

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May 26, Temples: a Sunday Scriptures blog

Not long ago we watched in horror as the great cathedral of Notre Dame burned, shaking the very identity of the French people. The destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by Rome in 70 C.E. was a huge shock for Jews and also for the Jewish converts to Christ. Our…

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