This day, . . . Today . . .  If an observant Jew were to ask God which day is his favorite, he might expect the answer to be Saturday, the day that God rested. A Christian might expect the answer to be Sunday, the day of the resurrection. But God’s favorite day is today. No, not this date in history, but today, every day, each particular day in which you find yourself. Why? Because today, this very moment, is filled with divine potential. This...

You will be thrown into prison J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings centers around a magical ring that gives its wearers a dark power over others.   The ring is so evil that even those who don’t want to exercise that dark power find themselves falling under its spell. What that mythical ring did to its wearer, anger can do to us.   When someone has hurt us, especially someone we trusted, the anger that we feel can be so strong that it takes...

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you “I want a puppy!”   How many times have parents heard a request like that?   They don’t think any less of their child for asking, but this is one request that often goes unanswered.   They know that their child asks because he believes that they love him.   Whether he gets that puppy or not, deep down he believes that his parents want the best for...

Our Father who art in heaven . . .  The Grand Canyon is an outstanding example of stratified — or layered — rock.   By studying its colorful layers, geologists have learned much about the canyon and its history.   Each layer contains a wealth of information, including a few surprises.   For example, did you know that the canyon was once covered by shallow seas, once lush with vegetation, and even once flowing with lava? Here’s another...

Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy Christianity is often viewed as a series of no-no’s, and this passage has plenty of them.   Don’t steal.   Don’t lie.   Don’t slander.   It seems pretty clear and concrete.   But notice that all these rules are “bookended” by holiness and love.   These two words describe everything God had in mind when he gave us these laws. The call to holiness is based not only on what we avoid, but also — and...

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish Of the three practices that we focus on in Lent—prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—it’s the last that we can find the most challenging, especially if it means going beyond putting some money in the poor box.   While many of us are already in the practice of giving to the needy during Lent, it can be harder to find opportunities to serve the poor in person. Often we begin Lent with a sincere desire to help...