At the Well By Michael Pirri This weekends Gospel reading focuses on Jesus’ interaction with a Samaritan woman coming to draw water at Jacob’s well. I always wondered how it was that these two should happen to meet, both unaccompanied. It’s important to note two
Dialogue By Michael Pirri “And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.” Matthew 3.16 Just before the point where today’s
What can I give? By Michael Pirri In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter Long ago. Our God, heaven cannot hold Him Nor earth sustain, Heaven and earth shall flee away When He comes to
Fair Share By Michael Pirri In Jesus’ day, the tax system was easily corrupted. Tax collectors were effectively able to mark-up their taxes and take the difference for themselves. The more prominent the tax collector, the more tax they could add to tax collected by those below
Surrounded By Michael Pirri This past Friday was the Feast of St. Macrina (sister to St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nyssa); this monday is the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, and then Friday we celebrate the Feast of St. Anne and St. Joachim (Jesus’
World Communications Day By Michael Pirri Every year on the Sunday prior to Pentecost, the Church celebrates the achievements of the communications media. World Communications Day (WCD) was established by Pope Paul VI to encourage us to reflect on the unique opportunities and challenges that the modern
Doubt No More By Michael Pirri “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (John 20.29) Thomas is pointed out to us in today’s Gospel not because his doubt is skepticism, but because his belief is faith. We should believe with the
By Michael Pirri Our Gospel reading today challenges us to first see our faults before we consider pointing out the faults of others. This reading is especially poignant this week; Former Cardinal McCarrick has been laicized, Cardinal Pell was found guilty of sexual offenses involving minors,
Keeping the Word Central The first reading takes place at the end of the Babylonian captivity of the Israelites: the heads of several families had accompanied Ezra, a priest and scribe, back to Jerusalem some short time ago. The seventh month of the Hebrew ecclesiastical year
And on Earth, as in Heaven By Michael Pirri “Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered in to heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf