People of every age have asked, “Why suffer?” While we may trace some of our suffering to foolish behavior, much of the suffering, like Job’s, remains mysterious and undeserved. Today’s…
What is my experience of change, and how do I understand if change is real? Am I able to make change happen? For the teacher in the book of Ecclesiastes,…
The Principle of Social Proof notes that we humans are greatly influenced by the actions of others. The more of us who believe a thing to be true—or act as…
Many years ago, I was considered for a position that I felt utterly unqualified to fulfill. I prayed fervently that someone else would get the job. Once the job was…
“I’m beyond tired, I’m exhausted. I’ve worked for hours, and I see no progress or any fruit of my labor. I’m worried about doing good enough for those who depend…
There is nothing wrong with being a scribe or a Pharisee, someone whose life is centered on the study of the law of God. We meet several noteworthy ones in…
A decade ago, I spent a summer clapping and dancing with an energetic group of girls known as the “Butterfly Group”— the most challenging residents of Shanti Dan Home for…
Matthew, evangelist and former tax collector, gives us two stories about Jesus the taxpayer. Last fall we heard the incident when Jesus was asked, “Is it lawful to pay the…
Since my diagnosis with cancer, I have been reading the healing narratives in the Gospels. I felt a nudge to dwell with these stories of curing and cleansing, to understand…
Many American Catholics will probably recognize the name of Franz Jägerstätter (1907–1943), an Austrian Catholic who went willingly to his death rather than fight for Hitler’s Nazi regime. I imagine…
