It is no secret that we Americans live in a materialistic culture For some people the pursuit of wealth and possessions seems to function as a kind of religion substitute The Old Testament wisdom books and the New Testament writings have some wise things to say about money and possessions While a

ldquo Faith is the realization of what is hoped for rdquo Heb 11 1 Faith and hope are two of the theological virtues They are called theological because they have their origin and goal in God While theologians make precise distinctions between them in the Bible they tend to blend together be

Our Sunday Gospel readings this summer from Luke rsquo s journey narrative provide a framework or outline for developing a sound Christian spirituality One essential element in any variety of Christian spirituality is prayer Luke rsquo s Gospel is an excellent place to learn about biblical prayer

The Martha-and-Mary narrative also challenges us to balance practical action and contemplation.

The term good Samaritan means someone who helps a stranger in need It derives from the parable contained in today rsquo s reading from Luke 10 A man had been beaten robbed and left for dead on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho Both a priest and a Levite mdash members of Israel rsquo s ldquo cl

At this time of year around Independence Day and with the upcoming presidential campaign in view public debate is focusing on leadership Last Sunday we began Luke rsquo s journey narrative in which Jesus serves as the leader for his first disciples and for us as well In today rsquo s selection f