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I was reading about the need for assistants in Chapter 6 of the Acts of the Apostles.   There were complaints (against the Apostles) that the widows of the Greek speaking Jews were being neglected. In response to this complaint, the Apostles readily identified “seven reputable men” who would take care of this problem.   But here’s what stood out for me . . . “The twelve” were very clear that it was not right for them to “neglect the word of God to serve at table.”   In other words, they knew what they were responsible for and didn’t try to do everything themselves.   The distribution of labor, if you will, quickly became a necessity in the early church. That is true for us today. I talk a lot about evangelization, sharing your faith and speaking the name of Jesus in this increasingly non-Christian world.   However, each one of us is called according to his vocation and not one of us has to do it all. Some of us are called to be pray-ers.   Some preachers, writers and worker b

"Doctor Faustus..." starts with a 194-word soliloquy. Sort of. It's delivered by Chorus, named last in Marlowe's "Dramatis Personae." Ancient Greek tragedies had a chorus, acting like today's narrators. Again, sort of. Aristotle said that chorus was a character, so maybe Marlowe saw it that way, too. Make that probably did, since his "Dramtis Personae" lists Chorus. Anyway, here's Marlowe's first whacking great chunk of soliloquy, whittled down considerably, in "Dr. Faustus." Assuming that what Chorus says is soliloquy.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

          El hecho de que el año de san José haya sido durante la pandemia puede parecer una pura coincidencia, pero no puede haber mejor protector y modelo en estos tiempos de adversidad como el que estamos pasando debido a la pandemia del COVID19. El Papa Francisco ha dirigido en forma especial la mirada de la Iglesia hacia su patrono protector, declarado así por el beato Pio IX en 1870.   “La confianza del pueblo en san José se resume en la expresión “ Ite ad Ioseph ”, que hace referencia al tiempo de hambruna en Egipto, cuando la gente le pedía pan al faraón y él les respondía: «Vayan donde José y hagan lo que él les diga» ( Gn 41,55). Se trataba de José el hijo de Jacob, a quien sus hermanos vendieron por envidia.” Papa Francisco (CARTA APOSTÓLICA PATRIS CORDE)     leer más...

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Kitchen Scene with the Supper in Emmaus Diego  Velázquez  [ Web Gallery of Art] Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread (Luke 24:35). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 24:35-48     (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them,  “Peace to you!”   But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.   And he said to them,  “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?   See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”   And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.   And wh

  I’m not big on talking about satan.   I don’t deny he exists, but I don’t like to give him space.   I do, however, think it is important to “go deep” from time to time and consider the ways our thoughts and actions are influenced by him.   Satan can work very subtly in our lives, and in fact, we might even work with him if we are unaware of his ways.   It is easy to miss satan’s interventions because they come veiled beneath our hidden pride. One way we can be sure he is working in a faith community is when well-intentioned people strike out at each other because of their conviction that their way must be the only way, even though they are working towards the same goal. Or, for example, one person’s adherence to a particular devotion becomes so rigid that they begin to place heavy burdens upon those who do not share it. If we just step back for a minute and look at the bigger picture, we will see that it is our own self-righteous pride that gets in the way.   This sin of pr