In 1 Samuel, God advises the prophet Samuel not to observe as men see but as God sees. He tells him to “look to the heart.” This is the movement of this Sunday’s Gospel reading. “Beware the scribes,” Jesus advises. He points out their public greetings and “seats of honor,” which stands in sharp contrast to their private greed. For the Jewish people of Jesus’ day, honor resides at the top. Power and prestige created a high profile back then as it still does today. After his warning, Jesus turns his disciples’ attention elsewhere: a poor widow...

One Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated for our grouping at 9:30 a.m. at St. Richard Church.

“Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.” (Luke 13:10) With these opening words, the Gospel for Monday’s daily Mass pressed home the agony and suffering of the previous Saturday. The heinous attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue must serve as a call to all Catholics to remember that our very spiritual roots stem from the Tree of Life—in more layers than I realized when I first sat down to write this letter...