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Earlier in my priesthood, I served as the vicar of vocations for my diocese, working extensively with young adults. In this way, I came to have a deep appreciation for the younger generation. Even as they struggled with entitlement, loss of purpose, and other such things, they also showed a genuine love for and desire to serve others, especially the suffering. In particular, what stood out for me was the deep esteem that those younger people had for their grandparents. They enjoyed being with th …

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says these strange words:“Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes will be those of his own household” (Matt. 10:34-35).Why would Jesus say this when he speaks constantly of peace and is constantly blessing people with peace? Isn’t he the one who said, “Blessed ar …

Some time ago, a married couple with young children reached out and asked if they could come and meet with me. Although I didn’t recognize their names, and they weren’t in our parish database system, I was happy to make some time to sit down and talk with them.The conversation started quickly, as the husband and wife wanted to tell me their story and what brought them to my office. Long story short, they were relatively new to the area, had moved here because of work, and had been visiting the l …

Throughout my priestly ministry, I have always heavily preached the importance of frequent confession. In my homiletics, I stress the spiritual goods of the sacrament and their effects on our souls. Regrettably, many of the faithful dismiss the invitation and settle for the oftentimes tragic minimum of once a year. Every once in a while, however, someone will be stirred by the Holy Spirit and will start going to regular confession.On one such occasion, a middle-aged woman (not from my current pa …

CHALLENGE: Matthew and Luke contradict each other. Matthew says that the field of blood got its name because it was bought with blood money (Matt. 27:6-7), but Luke says it was called this because people knew Judas died a gruesome death there (Acts 1:18-19).DEFENSE: Names can have more than one significance, and the two explanations are compatible.The fact that Matthew and Luke record different expressions of the tradition regarding Judas’s fate indicate that both were in circulation.Some people …