We can’t serve two masters

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Sept. 22 (Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13)

People are an expendable commodity. Unbridled profit should be one’s guiding principle. If this sounds heartless and shocking it should because it is — but it expresses the underlying mentality of too many people and it helps to fuel our institutions.

Pope, writing in secular newspaper, urges dialogue with non-believers

VATICAN CITY - Writing in one of Italy's major secular newspapers, Pope Francis called for a "sincere and rigourous dialogue" between the Church and non-believers as an "intimate and indispensable expression" of Christian love.

Praying for peace in Syria, Pope calls selfishness the cause of war

VATICAN CITY - Leading a crowd in prayer for peace in Syria, Pope Francis said that war is ultimately caused by selfishness, which can be overcome only though expressions of fraternity and never with violence.

More than 100,000 join Pope in Vatican peace vigil

VATICAN CITY - The Pope called on more than 100,000 people crowded into St. Peter’s on Sept. 7 to always reject violence, to never accept war and to enthusiastically become ambassadors for peace.

For the Pope, making peace is now part of the job

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis is leading the Catholic Church on an extraordinary campaign to prevent President Barack Obama's proposed military strike on Syria.

God is close at hand, offering His kingdom

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) Sept. 15 (Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14; Psalm 51; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32)

The Golden Calf is well established in our cultural tradition as a symbol of idolatry or chasing after false values. Several years ago a TV commentator referred to a particular luxury car as a “Golden Calf on wheels” — well said! Perhaps we should ask what motivates people to pursue such falseness — is it merely ill will or wickedness?

Giving to the poor is good for our health

We need to give to the poor, not because they need it, though they do, but because we need to do that in order to be healthy. That’s an axiom which is grounded in Scripture where, time and again, we are taught that giving to the poor is something that we need to do for our own health.

Learning to love the questioner

Late afternoon sunshine brought gold and charcoal shadings. I felt dusty and worn. We’d started early, when it was relatively cool, but the heat grew quickly and we’d wandered through several hot places in the north of Galilee this July day.

Pope to lead Vatican prayer vigil for peace in Syria

VATICAN CITY - On the evening of Sept. 7, days before U.S. lawmakers vote on President Barack Obama's proposal for a military attack on Syria, Pope Francis will lead thousands in St. Peter's Square in a prayer vigil for peace.

Pope names veteran diplomat as Vatican's No. 2

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has stuck with a long-standing tradition by appointing a seasoned member of the diplomatic corps to replace Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone as the top Vatican official.

Romanian priest who died in communist prison to be beatified

WARSAW, Poland - A priest who died of cold and hunger in a communist prison will be beatified as a martyr in Romania.