by Father Thomas Catania Hearing aids, however necessary and however much they have become all but imperceptible, have not, unlike eyewear, become fashion statements. It is a long while since those “ear trumpets” represented in 18th-century paintings have formed part of our apparatus, but even the little buds that, in teenagers, betoken “I’m tuned into […]
Sunday Scriptures
What Went Wrong?
by Father Thomas Catania THE RECIPE CAME straight out of Julia Child; every last detail of it was followed meticulously, but here on the table, what should have been a mouthwatering sole a la Florentine bears an uncanny resemblance to a fish tank whose inhabitants and warranty have both expired in the past 24 hours. It wasn’t […]
Everyone Has a Role in The Celebration of Mass
by Father John P. Cush TODAY IN OUR proclamation of sacred Scripture, we conclude this brief, five-week excursus into John’s Gospel. As we’ve mentioned, the Gospel readings in the Year B liturgical cycle are normally taken from the Evangelist Mark, but for the summer, we take a break and go and delve into the eucharistically […]
The Theology and Spirituality of the Eucharist
by Father John P. Cush WE HAVE BEEN reading over the past four weeks from the Evangelist John’s sixth chapter, the Bread of Life Discourse. In light of these readings, all of which are ultimately about the Eucharist, we have been discussing the context of this section of the Johannine Gospel, as well as […]
Believe in What You Receive — The Real Presence in the Eucharist
by Father John P. Cush We have been reading as the Gospel at Mass over the past few Sundays from the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel, the Bread of Life Discourse. In these columns, we have begun a study of these Johannine inserts into the Marcan Gospel cycle and, to date, we have firmly placed […]
Delving Deeper in the Faith and Applying It to Daily Life
WHEN WE LEFT off last week, we were looking at this extended passage from which we are reading over the next several weeks, namely the Bread of Life Discourse in the fourth Gospel. The Evangelist, John, places this selection firmly in the middle of the first part of his Gospel, what most scripture scholars call […]
Understanding the Gift of the Eucharist Through John’s Eyes
by Father John P. Cush Over the next five weeks, we will be reading from the Gospel of John. Normally in the readings offered to us for our reflection in this current liturgical cycle (Year B), we have the opportunity to read from the Gospel of Mark. The Marcan Gospel, as you probably know, is […]
Prayerfully Searching for Shepherd Heroes of the New Millennium
by Father John Cush For the past eight years, I was truly blessed to be on the faculty at one of the most amazing places in the world. For the greater part of a decade, I was given the true gift of serving as a priest in a unique institution. Whether it was in the […]
First Impressions Can Be Limiting
by Father John Cush JESUS CAUSES quite a bit of scandal in today’s Gospel reading taken from the sixth chapter of Mark’s Gospel. The people who have known Jesus since His early life, those who have seen Him grow up and those who know His family, simply can’t believe He’s doing what He’s doing right […]
No Fear! Jesus the Doctor Is Near
by Father John Cush I have to admit that I hate going to the doctor. I am the very worst type of patient. One might describe me as a doctor’s nightmare. I am the living epitome of the old adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Armed with the Internet and with watching […]
