Fr. Tom KnoblachDec 18, 20211 minThe Year of St. Joseph - A PrayerAs we come once more to the Christmas mystery, we can appreciate St. Joseph more deeply through the Year of Joseph now concluding. The...
Fr. Tom KnoblachNov 23, 20212 minThe Year of St. Joseph - Intercessor and ModelWhy do Catholics venerate the saints? It is a common question for those who are unfamiliar with devotions and statues, medals and icons....
Fr. Tom KnoblachOct 20, 20212 minThe Year of St. Joseph - A Father in the Shadows IIThe previous entry spoke of Joseph’s “chaste love” for Mary and Jesus in categories that go beyond the physical manifestations of love...
Fr. Tom KnoblachSep 20, 20212 minThe Year of St. Joseph - A Father in the Shadows IPope Francis cites a book by the Polish writer Jan Dobraczynski, The Shadow of the Father, telling Joseph’s story in the form of a novel....
Fr. Tom KnoblachSep 6, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 53LIII. Beyond the wine that is the fruit of the vine, as seen at Cana, Jesus also gives Himself the title of the True Vine. This too has...
Fr. Tom KnoblachAug 30, 20211 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 52LII. A second image used by John is the combination of the vine and its product, wine. While bread and oil are also common Old Testament...
Fr. Tom KnoblachAug 20, 20212 minThe Year of St. Joseph - A Working FatherMatthew 13:55 says of Jesus: “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” The work translated as carpenter is tekton in Greek, which can designate...
Fr. Tom KnoblachAug 16, 20211 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 51LI. The Pope next explores the principal images used by John’s Gospel. First is water, the primordial element of life. Water can be a...
Fr. Tom KnoblachAug 16, 20211 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 50L. The Pope provides some insight into the underlying structures of John’s Gospel – overarching themes that situate the particular...
Fr. Tom KnoblachAug 9, 20211 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 49XLIX. To call John’s Gospel historical does not mean that every word of Jesus’ discourses is presented as an accurate and word-for-word...
Fr. Tom KnoblachAug 2, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 48XLVIII. Later and more objective study finds John’s Gospel rooted in actual events, even if told in a unique style by John. It is evident...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJul 26, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 47XLVII. In Chapter Eight of Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict turns to John’s Gospel. Most of what he has presented thus far is from the...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJul 19, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 46XLVI. As noted, several of the Psalms wrestle with the injustice we encounter in a fallen world: that those who rely on earthly wealth...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJul 16, 20211 minThe Year of St. Joseph - Creative CouragePope Francis uses the phrase “creative courage” to describe Joseph’s trusting obedience. By this he means that while Joseph was presented...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJul 12, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 45XLV. Pope Benedict next considers a third major parable in Luke: the Rich Man and Lazarus. Here too the story is well known to us, with...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJul 5, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 44XLIV. Pope Benedict now turns to the older brother in the “Prodigal Son” story, or again, better labeled “The Parable of the Two...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJun 28, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 43XLIII. Continuing with the parable of the Two Brothers, the younger son “went into himself,” Luke says, and comes to his senses in a kind...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJun 21, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 42XLII. Pope Benedict next takes us through Luke’s parable of the Prodigal Son. So familiar is this story that the mere title calls to mind...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJun 18, 20212 minThe Year of St. Joseph - Trust and ObedienceSt. Matthew is clear that Mary’s unexpected pregnancy deeply troubled Joseph. Perhaps it seemed like a betrayal by one he thought he knew...
Fr. Tom KnoblachJun 14, 20212 minWho Do You Say That I Am? - Part 41XLI. Pope Benedict looks at the Good Samaritan parable from a variety of lenses. One interpretation is moral – an examination of...