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Through the ages, philosophers and poets have debated life’s difficulties. What is the most troubling or burdensome task, for example? What activity requires the greatest effort? Keeping a secret, one wryly observed. Consistency, wrote one, persistence ...
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A principal aspect of doctrinal purity follows a tendency to define essential terms with some consistency. It is helpful when words are directly defined in the text of the Scriptures. One of those instances occurs in the opening verses of the eleventh cha...
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In a piece published by the National Catholic Reporter a decade or so ago, Mrs. Patricia Sanchez noted how much time we spend waiting. “We wait to purchase groceries, to be served at popular restaurants, and to be tended to in a bank. We wait at stop si...
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St. Peter preached a wondrous sermon at Pentecost, helping to establish the Church. Later, St. Stephen, one of the first deacons, preached such a convicting sermon, it cost him his life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, preaching—the proclamation o...
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Arrogance, most especially among those allied with Christ, is an ugly, offensive and destructive trait. “It is to the humble that Christ belongs,” wrote Pope Clement I, “not to those who exalt themselves above his flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the S...
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Parents discipline their children. Coaches challenge athletes. Employers rebuke their employees, and teachers correct their students. One writer has said that discipline involves education, and it encourages development by instruction, exercise and traini...
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Total annual expenditures for the typical American family run about $50,000. Expenses that represent more than 10% of money spent form a fairly predictable list: housing, transportation, food, insurance and retirement. Those representing 5% to 10% of ex...
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For those who identified with central characters in the parables of Jesus, hearing him tell particular stories probably stung. “ ‘Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions,’ ” th...
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The Apostle Paul was a prominent, well-respected, well-educated, powerful rabbi. He was intimidating and resourceful, a political force and a man of the world. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, his life changed. No, he did not lose his position ...
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Especially in an atmosphere of economic uncertainty, mall shoppers expect to find their share of bargains and discounts. They don’t anticipate having to bargain with retail sales associates to obtain them. That isn’t necessarily true in all situations...
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In antiquity, companies of soldiers were trained for pertinent missions, were provided munitions and supplies, and were sent off with a set of expectations to specific destinations on foot. Historians say they were given their marching orders, a term we u...
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“Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Well said. And, for those who walked with Jesus, there was no question about who God is. But, about the...
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Born twenty years before the first days of the sixth century, St. Benedict of Nursia remains one of the most influential individuals in the history of the Church, a remarkable fact for he remained a relative unknown for years after his death. To place him...
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It is clear, by the recorded comment of one of Jesus’ disciples, that they wanted Jesus to teach them what and how to pray—content and intent. The eleventh chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke opens with an observation and a request: “Jesus was praying...
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Unlike the typical first century Semitic teacher, Jesus respected women, spoke to their needs and concerns, and welcomed them to follow him, serving God alongside his many male followers. St. Luke’s gospel, in particular, includes a number of stories th...
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What would Alan Alexander Milne have thought of the Super Sleuths? Could the author of Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner have imagined his beloved characters—those based on his own son Christopher Robin and the boy’s stuffed animals—at wo...
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A television commercial making the rounds includes short testimonials from those who’ve purportedly enjoyed a reduction in their tax burden through the intervention of tax professionals who, representing them, have helped them save thousands—sometimes...
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The Apostle Paul began his Letter to the Galatians with a brief autobiography. Halfway through the passage is an overlooked reference to years in study and preparation, an additional ‘three-year graduate degree’ he completed far from home with those w...
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The first century church may have become culturally diverse, but the Jewish heritage that prevailed was anything but inclusive. Commentators have offered the following common prayer from men of the day as evidence: “Blessed be God that he did not make m...
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Fans of television police and courtroom dramas have learned to ask about a criminal’s motivations. Not surprisingly, those who wear uniforms and carry badges in the real world direct more attention to evidence of all kinds. Still, we ask why. We wonder,...
