Father Eugene Hensell
Are There Limits to Forgiveness?
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The Bible avoids attempting to give a “dictionary” definition of forgiveness. Instead, it prefers to show us many and varied examples of forgiveness in action. Wherever we find it, forgiveness is the word used to describe the total wiping out of an offense by the one affronted. In the Bible, forgiveness is not simply the Read More
Do We Still Need Angels?
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If you come from a traditional Catholic background one of the prayers you learned as a child was this: Angel of God, my guardian dear, / to whom God’s love commits me here, / ever this day be at my side, / to light and guard, to rule and guide. / Amen. This is the Read More
Get Your Heads Out of the Clouds
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In the writings of St. Luke, the author gives us two versions of the ascension of Jesus into heaven. The first version appears in Luke 24:50-53 and forms, in dramatic fashion, the ending to Luke’s story of Jesus’ earthly ministry. This glorious event is described as taking place on Easter Sunday night, which links it Read More
The Pathway to Greatness
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Describing the qualities of greatness has become a growth industry, especially in the literature of leadership. Among the many attributes manifested in men and women qualifying them as great are the following: purposefulness, self-confidence, boldness, optimism, forgiveness, courage, determination, humility, self-reflection and love. This is only a sampling. Even within the long tradition of the Read More
‘Do Whatever He Tells You’
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The Gospel of John is divided into two parts. The first part (Jn 1-12) is called the “book of signs.” The second part (Jn 13-21) is called the “book of glory.” The first part is structured around seven signs, each of which reveals something about God manifested in the words and deeds of Jesus. Here Read More
Why Christ Is King
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The Church highlights the closing of each liturgical year by celebrating the solemnity of Christ the King. As liturgical feast days go, this one is relatively new. It was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925 with the publication of his encyclical Quas Primas (“In the First”). The encyclical was a response to the growing Read More
‘It is Good for Us to Be Here’
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The story of the transfiguration of Jesus appears in all three synoptic Gospels (cf. Mk 9:2-10; Mt 17:1-8; Lk 9:28-36). Almost all biblical scholars and spiritual writers agree that this intriguing story is important. They also agree that it almost defies interpretation. The famous biblical scholar Julius Wellhausen (1884-1918) was the first to suggest that Read More
Labor and the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16
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The Catholic Church consistently and strongly affirms the dignity of work and the rights of workers. Here is just a small taste of that teaching taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice. … Agreement between Read More