The Bible tells us that God is revealed in jars of flour that don't go empty, jugs of oil that never run dry.

What does it take to be a saint in this world? Two miracles and a lot of good press? Martyrdom for the right cause? Canonization can be achieved on these terms, but it takes a bit more to be actually counted among the blessed.

Bartimaeus follows Jesus up the road—”on the way” in some translations, the Way being a code word for the Christian journey.

The people of God need faith-filled, wise, and joyful leaders, now as ever. The sacramental ministry is a beautiful calling, with the Eucharist providing “the source and summit” of Christian faith.

We can demonstrate that we’re on the trail of wisdom by showing humility rather than arrogance in our discernment; by seeking guidance through prayer instead of parroting commentators from network news programs.

Family life, whether ancient or modern, rarely performs to the standards of its comforting advertising. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.

God is not complicated. At least that's what we're told in The Simple Song included in Leonard Bernstein's Mass. Love is simple to understand, and God is the simplest of all, the lyrics and music conspire to persuade us.

My 5-year-old nephew is already playing Mass, as Catholic children are wont to do. He holds up his cup with both hands at the supper table and delivers a string of words culled from the liturgy but arranged most creatively.

Who wants to suffer? If anyone raises a hand, back away and call an attending physician. Suffering is not a desirable condition, and those who possess mental health not only don’t seek it, but actively avoid it.

Don’t discriminate in your hearts, the great New Testament essayist James warns us. Yet by the time we hear these words most of us have been doing just that for a lifetime. We learn early to prefer the clean boy to the untidy one; the fellow citizen to the foreigner; the well-dressed woman to the one wearing a jacket that’s behind the fashion.