Peter is more prominent in Matthew than in any other Gospel Along with Mt 16 16-19 the promise to Peter and 17 24-27 the temple tax today rsquo s Gospel is one of three distinctive Petrine episodes Throughout these Peter rsquo s faith is a gift from God that is tested by suffering and doubt

This Sunday concludes Jesus rsquo sermon in parables with three kingdom parables and a covert reference to the Evangelist himself The kingdom or better God rsquo s way of reigning is first compared to the joy of unexpected discovery of a treasure in a field which causes a person to sell everyt

This has got to stop Why doesn rsquo t somebody do something about this The refrains are heard from family kitchens to rec rooms of religious communities perhaps more frequently Jesus rsquo followers were no different Jesus compares God rsquo s kingdom to the work of a sower who sows good se

Independence Day Parades streaming down main street band concerts of patriotic music fireworks displays cookoutsall celebrating the birth of a nation with paeans of praise for freedom democracy and military might With the memory of Sept 11 still fresh the celebrations will be bittersweet Ho

Amos N Wilder one of the greats of 20th century biblical scholarship wrote that in the parables the reader meets Jesus the layman for whom human destiny is at stake in ordinary creaturely existence domestic economic social Early Christian Rhetoric The Language of the Gospel p 82 Here t

Six years ago I was privileged to be a delegate at the 34th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus which met in Rome The main work of the congregation was to revise the laws that direct Jesuit life as well as to respond to questions raised throughout the Jesuit provinces about our life and