Praying for the dead is one of the fundamental practices of Christianity. While there are some indications of prayer benefiting the dead in the Jewish Scriptures, the full experience of death, … more

St. Luke ends the childhood life of Jesus with Mary and Joseph finding of the young Christ in the temple and he ends the public life of the Savior with the two disciples discovering Jesus in the breaking of the bread. The two stories are actually one. The details are altered certainly, but the lesson is the same. more

The town of Lincoln can boast of several historic homes and businesses along Great Road in the village of Saylesville. The Eleazer Arnold House dates back to 1693 and the memorable Hearthside House was built in 1810. more

Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51; Hebrews 7:23-28; and Mark 12:28b-34 more

The parable of the poor man named Lazarus and the rich man, sometimes named Dives (the Latin word for rich), should come as no surprise to St. Luke’s faithful readers. more

Nothing grieved Jesus more than the hostility of the religious leaders toward his message of redemption and salvation. Jesus was patient with the crowds and forbearing toward sinners, but he was quite irritated with the priests and teachers, scribes and Pharisees, rabbis and doctors of the law, who resisted his every word and ignored his calls for repentance. more

Pope St. John Paul II instructed that the Second Sunday of Easter be observed each year as Mercy Sunday, completing a novena of mercy that begins on Good Friday and then continues through the octave … more

Precious Blood Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman, in her succinct publication “The Ministry of Liturgical Environment” rightly notes that the contrast of the church building as the Domus Dei (House of … more

The mid-century liturgical commission that revised the ceremonies for Holy Week was being subtly tongue-in-cheek or deliberately ironic when the members determined that Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday should be described as a “triumph.” more

A monastic practice that probably dates back to St. Benedict himself is a blend of Scripture reading, study, thought and prayer called “lectio divina,” that is, divine reading or sacred reading. more

The temptation of Eve by Satan in the Garden of Eden is virtually the same temptation suggested by Satan to Christ in the Judean wilderness. Eve had all the human resources she could possible desire. more

It is helpful to recall from time to time that Christianity is 2,000 years old, and also to remember that the Judaeo-Christian tradition was established about 3,500 years ago. more

Much of my priesthood was happily spent in Pawtucket. Sacred Heart Parish in Pleasant View, now sadly defunct, was an encouraging venue for a young priest to begin his ministry. more

Believers are certainly not surprised to hear Jesus’ words proclaiming love as a principal pillar upon which the Christian life rests. Nor is the believer surprised to read the words of the sacred authors of the Gospels and epistles joining Jesus in his demand that love be central to all Christian activity. St. James writes, “However, if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.” St. Paul joins him while writing to the Galatians, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And again the Apostle confirms this belief in writing powerfully to the Romans: “…whatever other commandments there may be, are summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.” The Gospel accounts of Saints Matthew, Mark and Luke are unanimous and unequivocal in placing love at the heart of the Christian message. St. Mark writes for all three when he records: “Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And for the Christian love is to be understood in its broadest sense: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” more

A line of Scripture that should give every believer a moment’s pause is found in today’s second reading for the Solemnity of Pentecost. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, St. … more

Joachim of Fiore was a medieval thinker who divided salvation history into three segments. The first stage of history was that of God the Father narrated in the Hebrew Scriptures. more

An advertisement featured recently on local radio begs support for a Roman Catholic missionary congregation that has earned justifiable renown over the last century. This religious congregation of priests and sisters had brought the Gospel message, amid much suffering and persecution, to what today is often called the Third World. They have a noble record. more

An irreverent thought occurred during Pope Benedict’s welcome and inspiring trip to the United States in April. more

A Rhode Island judge understands government neutrality regarding religion to be the perennial and the best policy that a civic administration should maintain toward a nation’s faith life. more

Two enlightening models of the desert/wilderness experience are Blessed Charles deFoucauld, the nineteenth century holy man of the Sahara Dessert, and Father Carlo Carretto, a twentieth century … more