Some years ago I asked one of my students nbsp a religious sister what she would say if she were to preach on the feast of the Ascension Without a second rsquo s hesitation she replied ldquo The Ascension is God rsquo s act of faith in us rdquo nbsp Yes nbsp God the Father entrusts to u

In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles Peter mdash interpreting his experience with Gentile Cornelius and the extraordinary vision of the sheet of unclean animals mdash announces ldquo Truly I see that God shows no partiality nbsp Rather in every nation whoever fears God and acts uprigh

The First Reading for the fifth Sunday of Easter is Acts 9 26-31 Luke is often thought to give an ideal or idealistic picture of the earliest Church and perhaps this is so though elements of friction disputation and consternation amongst the earliest Christians can be found throughout the Acts

Why not use this blog entry Not that you would use it perhaps that s presumptuous of me even to assume it but no one wants to hear about word studies from the pulpit On the other hand what will people say when they hear Acts 4 8-12 proclaimed this Sunday According to the NAB Peter asks if he

In many of the post-Easter readings speakers today Peter Jesus reach back into the tradition in which they are rooted in order to make sense of the fresh events nbsp Our way of saying that is that they re-view Old Testament tradition while gripped by what they have just experienced at Easter

I wish I could be present at the celebration of America Magazine rsquo s 100th Anniversary tomorrow in New York nbsp It was about two years ago that I was invited to participate in the blog ldquo The Good Word rdquo and I have enjoyed the opportunity that I was given by Tim Reidy and the magazi