A starting note about language. “Woe to you.” We are conditioned to understand the phrase “Woe to you” as one of condemnation, or at least as a warning of the coming condemnation. The phrase calls to mind the evangelical preacher admonishing the backsliding,...
The Old Testament is a source of lots of bible stories for children: Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Whale, and the list goes on. So, yes, you can read books of the Old Testament in search of a great children’s tale, suitable for bedtime stories. If this is...
This parable is directed to the chief priests and the elders after Jesus’ formal entry into Jerusalem. He is in the temple teaching. We can imagine that after such a triumphal entry in Jerusalem, that large crowds formed in the temple to listen to his teaching. The...
The first reading today is from the Book of Judges and contains the Parable of the Trees (Judges 9:8-15). It speaks to a period of Israel’s history after the people had entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua but before the establishment of the...
Being rich is an economic state but it is also an attitude of the heart and soul. Being rich means centering your life on your own economic power whether it be high or low. Being rich means trusting in your own power to manage your life; being self-sufficient. Being...
