• Let Thy Holy Angel Be With Us

    Yesterday (Sept. 29) was the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel. The holy angels aren’t something we give a lot of thought to, and when we do, often our imagination is informed more by popular culture than God’s Word. God’s angels are warrior ministers—creatures who are deployed to comfort and protect God’s people, fighting the spiritual… Read more

  • Sinners Called by Christ

    On the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Sept. 21), Fr. Jerome Leckband reminded us that Matthew’s story is not one of a flawless saint but of a sinner called by Christ. Sitting at his tax booth, Matthew heard Jesus’ words, “Follow me,”—words that are spoken to every sinner, including us. Matthew’s Gospel begins with… Read more

  • The Exaltation of the Holy Cross

    Yesterday was the annual feast day for the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. On the cross of Christ, what looks to our physical eyes like defeat is in truth the victory of God. By His willing sacrifice, Jesus destroys the power of sin, death, and the devil, and draws us into communion with Himself and… Read more

  • The Birthday of Blessed Mary

    Today, Christ’s holy Church celebrates the birthday of Saint Mary, the Blessed Theotokos. The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, though, is not ultimately about Mary herself, but about God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises through her, culminating in the birth of Christ. From the first promise in Eden that the seed… Read more

  • Are You Right with God?

    How are you made right before God? Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to answer that question. While human reason assumes the Pharisee’s outwardly righteous life makes him justified, Jesus reveals that it is the humble tax collector who is declared righteous. The Pharisee’s prayer is full of self-congratulation, whereas… Read more

  • From Fig Tree to Martyrdom

    From fig tree to martyrdom, Bartholomew’s life is a testimony that the power of faith rests not in us, but in Christ who calls and keeps us. Saint Bartholomew—also called Nathanael in John’s Gospel—shows us what it means to be seen and known by Christ. At first he was skeptical when his brother Philip told… Read more