“Gospel: Today four friends bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus, who heals him. Sometimes when we feel stuck, we have to rely on our friends to carry us to God. For the Gospel says, 'When Jesus saw *their* faith,' that is, the faith of the friends. We never come to God alone.”Tagged: gospel, religiosity, Spirituality, spiritual belief, Friends
“Gospel: Jesus says that others are complaining about him: 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard!' As my NT professor once told us, people were critiquing Jesus for 'living it up.' Jesus was a joyful man who delighted in the company of other men and women. His way is about joy!”Tagged: gospel, religiosity, Spirituality, spiritual belief, the life of Jesus
“But even if the Holy Family fleeing into Egypt did not meet the current definition of refugees (and they do), modern-day refugee families still deserve our care and protection, because each refugee possesses infinite dignity and worth. They are our sisters and brothers.”Tagged: Refugees, welcome the refugees, Holy Family, Spirituality, religiosity
“Gospel: Jesus was born into a real family. He was divine, his mother conceived without sin, and Joseph a saint, but the rest of his family--aunts and uncles and cousins--were probably ordinary people. So Jesus understands family life. Therefore, he understands your own struggles.”Tagged: jesus, Jesus cares, Jesus understands, religiosity, Spirituality
“Gospel: Jesus is critiqued for eating with 'sinners and tax collectors,' as well as forgiving sins, speaking with women and healing the sick on the Sabbath. But for Jesus nothing should get in the way of proclaiming the Good News--which is the proclamation God's love for everyone.”Tagged: gospel, jesus, religiosity, God Cares, God loves you