An ancient Midrash legend tells of Abraham in his early life, living in Ur of the Chaldees in Mesopotamia, "the land between two rivers" (Tigris & Euphrates). Abraham was the son of Terah, a man who earned his living as an idol maker. Day in and day out, Terah worked diligently crafting "gods" of stone and wood. The rich pantheon of the ancient gods made it so there was no shortage of work for Terah. But his son did not share his worldview or his enthusiasm for idol worship,

Today's gospel reading of Luke 15:1-32, the parable of the prodigal son, inspired me to share a beautiful reflection I've come to treasure over the past few years. The story is told that centuries ago, a certain missionary journeyed to far distant country where he worked tirelessly to share the saving Gospel message with the people there. This life of evangelization eventually brought him into the company of a local artist in that land, a man renowned for his talent and artis

There once was a man who claimed to be more than just a man. Everywhere he journeyed the crowds flocked to him, even if only to catch a glimpse. Many broke through the swelling throngs to reach him, determined to overcome any obstacle in order to speak with him, to encounter him, to merely touch the tassels of his cloak. Everyone who did found that profound healing of some kind inevitably resulted from that encounter. But this man was so much more than a wise teacher. He was

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I doubt there's a single person among us who hasn't heard that old rhyme at some point. Usually we hear it as children when we've just encountered a bully's taunts or a parent or teacher is trying to convince us to avoid fighting in favor of a higher road. While those goals are all well and good, the problem is that the saying just isn't true. I don't know who first came up with this old adage. Our friend W

Kristine and I dropped the baby off with the sitter last week so we could go on a rare late afternoon date to the movies. We were both so excited to see Wonder Woman and we were not disappointed! What neither one of us expected was how many connections we discovered between both the character of Diana (aka Wonder Woman), Gal Gadot who plays her, and some pretty awesome ladies in the Bible. Three connections in particular struck us: 1) Warrior, 2) Daughter, and 3) Mother. Firs

"And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 Faith. Hope. Love. We hear about these all the time. This particular verse from Saint Paul frequently serves as the exclamation point concluding the passage preceding it at weddings. "Love is patient... love is kind... it does not boast." But why is love the greatest of these three? FAITH is a gift from God. But it is also, mysteriously, something that requires some deg