God is not fickle! That is the good news in today’s first reading from Romans. In Romans 9-11 Paul deals with the issue of his fellow Jews who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul previously asked the question about his fellow Jews, “I ask, then, has...
Both Jesus and Paul were Jews. Jesus attended the synagogue on the Sabbath and join the pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem and the Temple for Passover. Paul was a zealous Jew, a Pharisee. Paul even persecuted his fellow Jews who proclaimed Jesus as Messiah and Lord. ...
Today’s first reading from Romans forms the basis of the well-known hymn “Amazing Grace.” The hymn begins with the words, “Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound) That sav’d a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.” These...
What is true freedom? A common understanding of freedom is the right to do what I want, whenever I want with no burdens and no responsibilities. As we hear in today’s first reading this is not what Christian freedom is. Paul tells us true freedom means being a...
Today we begin reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans. This letter is a very rich but also a very complex letter. Ultimately it is well worth the effort of “wrestling with Paul” as Paul reflects on vocation or calling, the Gospel, justification, and true Christian...
