Father Joseph Egan was a long-time dogmatic theology professor at St. Bernard’s Seminary in Rochester, New York. It was always his contention that St. Luke wrote Acts of the Apostles in order to justify the missionary activity to the Gentiles by St. Paul in light of the prior if somewhat limited outreach to the Gentile world by St. Peter. By the time St. Luke was writing Acts, St. Peter’s stature within the Christian community was acknowledged and respected enough that any precedent St. Peter had initiated could justifiably be cited as reason for other followers of Christ, like St. Paul and St. Barnabas, to venture out into similar even if more extensive challenges and apostolates. Accordingly, St. Luke devotes an entire chapter of Acts to the conversion by St. Peter of the Gentile but God-fearing centurion Cornelius and his household. 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

In the front vestibule of St. Joseph Church in Pascoag there is a small stained glass window depicting a bishop in liturgical attire, staff in hand, attended by servers. Perhaps unique in stained glass artistry, his Excellency is wearing eye-glasses. The episcopal motto featured below his likeness reveals the historical accuracy of the bespeckled prelate’s unusual portrait. more

Every Sunday Catholics through the world along with a number of other Christians solemnly professes the venerable words of the Nicene Creed: “For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” more

Perhaps no sacrament has evolved (or maybe the word should be devolved) over the centuries like the sacrament of Penance. And canonically it still is the sacrament of “Penance.” The official publication of the Catholic Church for the instruction of ministers confecting the sacrament is entitled “Ordo Paenitentiae,” i.e., the Order of Penance. The modern term “Reconciliation” is a mid-twentieth century application that ordinarily connotes equality between offending parties. more

As good and faithful Jews, Jesus and his closest disciples made careful preparations for the celebration of the Paschal meal – which, of course, would sadly be Jesus’ last supper. Joining St. Matthew and St. Mark, St. Luke carefully observes, “He sent out Peter and John, instructing them, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” A man they would meet would show them “a large upper room that is furnished.” They should make the preparations there. “Then they went off and found everything exactly as he had told them, and there they prepared the Passover.” When the four Gospel accounts of this Last Passover are read, along with St. Paul’s recollections, all of the traditional elements that even today comprise the Paschal Meal are mentioned. more

Recent articles have described St. Mark’s version of the Gospel as “a Passion account with an extended introduction.” One reference came from Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household and the other came from the lectors’ workbook published by Chicago’s Liturgy Training Program. With such diverse observers sharing the same perspective on St. Mark’s brief Gospel account, a closer look at the Passion of Christ according to St. Mark, which forms this coming Palm Sunday’s lengthy Gospel reading, is clearly in order. more

The prophet David was the first king to rule over all twelve tribes of Israel centered around the city of Jerusalem. But the unity enforced by King David did not endure very long. After the death of David’s son Solomon, David’s grandson Rehoboam enforced a very severe regime. Eventually, ten of the northern Israelite tribes separated from this tyrannical king and chose for themselves Jeroboam, from the tribe of Ephraim, as their king, establishing a new kingdom which they called Israel. The other two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, remained with the dictatorial Rehoboam and formed the Judean kingdom. more

The Jews endured seventy years of exile in Babylon about five hundred years before the birth of Christ. The first reading at Mass this Sunday celebrates the release of these Jews from this exile by the noble king Cyrus. A number of Scripture scholars have understood that this alien existence of the Jewish people actually led to the origin of the synagogue system and to the formulation of the Bible. Since the Jews had no temple in which to worship, it makes sense that they would gather in their alien neighborhoods to pray, reflect and sing the praises of God. Such neighborhood gatherings would have led to the synagogue system known today throughout the world. Also while in exile, it is plausible that the Jews might choose to write down the prophecies and note the prodigies that had marked their history. These reminiscences of course would be the beginning of the Bible. Certainly these events could have all happened. more

If I were to mix chemical A with chemical B in my cellar in Woonsocket, there would be a definite reaction. The chemicals might lie there inert with no result, the chemicals might explode with dangerous consequences, or the chemicals might bubble over and eat away the work shelf supporting my experiment. more

Jesus lived daily with the unhappy prospect of being rejected by many of his own Jewish people and of being tortured and crucified by the local Roman authorities. Three times during his public life Jesus predicted his rejection by the Jews and his suffering by the Romans. The triple citations in St. Mark’s Gospel are very easily remembered: Mark 8:31, 9:31 and 10:33. more

Saints Matthew, Mark and Luke all locate Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness immediately after his baptism at the Jordan by the Baptist. Some Biblical commentators see a constant Scriptural theme in this juxtaposition: commitment is always followed by testing. The Jordan baptism signaled Jesus’ commitment to public life. He would no longer be the reclusive carpenter at home in Nazareth with his widowed mother. more

The infectious Ebola disease has made headlines recently as a scare for many throughout the world and as a tragedy for many on the African continent. more

The Christian world is rightly concerned about personal morality. Christians should not cheat on their spouses, cheat on their taxes nor cheat at the neighborhood card game. Character, integrity and honor have been the quest of Christian believers and the mark of Christian saints in every age. Francis of Assisi and Charles de Foucauld leaving aside their youthful naughtiness come readily to mind. The Christian community has also been involved since Biblical times with social justice. The outstretched hand of the least brother or sister has been readily grasped by the strengthening embrace of a benevolent Christianity. Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac rescuing Parisian newborns and paupers have left a still vibrant legacy. And the Christian community has a proud heritage in education and certainly in liturgy, worship and prayer. more

If you were walking along the beach at Narragansett and you noticed a wristwatch in the sand, would you pick up the wristwatch and remark, “Oh, look! The wind and the sand and the waves and the shells and the sea weed and fish bones all came together at the just the right moment and produced this wristwatch!”? Or would you more likely comment, “Oh, look! Someone lost their watch!” The likelihood of a wristwatch being constructed by an accident of nature is highly unlikely. The thought is absurd. Well, if timepieces don’t result from chance neither does this glorious universe that mankind inhabits. The order in the stars, planets and heavenly bodies, the productive harmony known as the four seasons, the intricate coordination found in the human body, the unfailing resilience of humanity and nature after assorted disasters – surely these are evidence that initiating and guiding the destiny of this earth is what the Greeks called the “Nous” or the “Mind,” and what the Semitic peoples called “God” and what we Christians know as “the Father.” more

One of the first historical developments within Christianity was the movement of pious Christians away from the moral tumult of the ancient world’s Greco-Roman cities into the spiritual solitude of the Egyptian desert. St. Anthony of the Desert and St. Mary of Egypt are still venerated as early believers who put aside the wealth and pleasures of the Mediterranean world to pursue their eternal destinies in Egypt’s secluded wilderness. Although these desert fathers and mothers went to Egypt seeking isolation, they actually encountered much company. The demons and devils that plagued Jesus during his public life gave these ancient hermits no peace in their quest for a deeper spirituality. And the piety of these early solitaries not only enriched them spiritually but actually drew a good number of disciples eager to learn their Christian disciplines. The barren desert was spiritually most fruitful. more

When the angel appeared to St. Joseph to announce the birth of Jesus Christ, the heavenly emissary informed the new father that he should name his son Jesus “because he will save his people from their sins.” When the angelic hosts appeared to the shepherds on the hillside they announced that in the city of Bethlehem “a savior has been born to you who is Christ the Lord.” Even the Immaculate Virgin Mary declared in her celebrated canticle, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” The dream of Joseph, the visitation of the shepherds and the song of Mary all remind believers that being a savior, introducing salvation and saving people from sin, was the basic mission of Christ. The very name Jesus means “God saves.” more

The Holy Bible did not fall from the heavens as a complete publication ready for copying by the quill pen. Many of the 45 assorted books of the Hebrew Scriptures were most likely assembled by Jewish authorities during the Babylonian exile about five hundred years before the birth of Christ. By Jesus’ time the Hebrew Scriptures had been translated into Greek by 70 Jewish scholars becoming the Septuagint version Old Testament known today. It is very significant then that when assembling the many Biblical books during the Babylonian exile, the Jewish scholars chose to introduce the inspired Word of God by two epic sagas about family life. Genesis I recounts the familiar six days of creation culminating in the formation of the male/female unit open to new life known today as the family: “God created mankind in his image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis II confirms the primacy of the family: “When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; This one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of man this one has been taken.” That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.* Clearly, the Jews understood family life to be a foundational element in God’s plan for humanity. more

Although Adam and Eve, along with Noah and his family and the revelers at Babul, are lost to history, the patriarch Abraham and his wife Sarah have some historical credibility. The migration of Abraham’s family from Mesopotamia to Canaan was part of a general movement in Asia Minor dating from sometime in the first half of the second millennium before Christ. While there is no physical evidence of Abraham’s trek, his ancestral story has affinities to other late second-millennium stories and the names Abraham and Sarah fit language patterns of that era. Biblical scholars tend to acknowledge that the patriarch Abraham, the ancestor of Israel, was an actual historical person. more

Elijah, also known as Elias, was a distinctive Hebrew prophet whose exploits are recounted largely in the First and Second Books of Kings. Elijah is familiar to Christian believers through his close association with John the Baptist and through his appearance with Moses at the transfiguration of Christ. Elijah was one of those rare Old Testament figures who, like Enoch, did not die but was taken up into heaven on the fiery chariot noted in the celebrated Negro spiritual. Lack of a recorded death possibly indicates a Jewish belief in Elijah’s continued influence over Jewish history and even his eventual return into history. The Jews of Jesus’ era certainly anticipated Elijah’s return and were only too anxious to see Elijah in the person of St. John the Baptist. more