Anyone hungry for a heated discussion needs only raise the topic of criteria for ministry in the church today Before they know it they will be deluged with such complicated issues as lay ministry women rsquo s ordination celibate priesthood homosexual candidates to name but a few Such issues

There seems to be a contradiction in the messages found in today rsquo s readings James teaches that the way of righteousness leads to peace while the author of Wisdom describes a conspiracy plotted against a righteous one In the Gospel Jesus first informs his disciples that he will be the victi

I would do anything rdquo That rsquo s a phrase we hear often It may even play an important role in our own lives ldquo I would do anything to have your good looks rdquo mdash and some people go to great lengths to try to change their appearance nbsp ldquo I would do anything for your lo

The future referred to in these readings is not simply the one we want for ourselves. It is God’s future, the one that God wants for us.

We must believe that our religious tradition can carry us into new situations, and that its values can continue to be vital despite the challenges we find there.

Children chant in sing-song the ditty ldquo Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me rdquo How erroneous this really is Broken bones mend but we do not always recover from cruel words Words can prevent us from becoming the best we might be and we often use them as w