Jesus continue the streak of hard sayings. There is a great urgency in Christ’s words. And he isn’t trying to shame us or guilt us. But he is trying to provoke a real and urgent response.

“How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour and that one is what we are doing.” As Annie Dillard insightfully points out, we must be very intentional about how we live day to day, and hour to hour. Especially in a time when our attention is pulled in so many directions and busyness tends to dominate (when we are “anxious and worried about many things”), we should learn to focus on the one thing necessary.

Our American DNA tells us that “authority” is a bad word, something to avoid. “Don’t tread on me” is a foundation of our country, it’s the air we breathe! And yet, at the same time, we all revere and acknowledge our need for an authority (think of coaches, trainers, teachers). Perhaps, Jesus knew this. And instead of leaving His Church rudderless, with no guide, no authority, perhaps he gave her an concrete authority to lead and guide Her in His place. In fact, maybe part of the mystery of the Church is that Jesus continues to lead and guide His Church precisely through this authority.

Today, we celebrate the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, apostles who proclaimed “Jesus is the Christ, the Lord.” Their lives were marked by the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, which led to persecution and martyrdom. We are called to follow their path of faith, despite facing subtle persecution.

Is our faith just a brand, or is it a path? Are we merely brand loyal, or is our entire life loyal to Jesus? Trinity Sunday is much more than understanding complex doctrinal teachings, it is about living the central mystery of our faith: a life of love.

All Saints – 2023 The Only Real Failure At the very beginning of the 20th century, early 1900’s, there were two young students in Paris, intellectuals, nerds—my…… Read more “Supermodel Friends”

How does a relationship form? Did you know and trust and love your best friend from the first instant? The depth of love for your spouse: was that present the day you met her? The parables of the Kingdom help us contemplate our relationship with Christ, and how it grows and develops.

Why do we show up on Christmas? Who is this baby? And what does he want from me?

When Jesus returns he isn’t going to be looking for “good people.” “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith? Will he find people who have entrusted their entire life, the totality of their life, everything and every part of their life to him?