There used to be a billboard on Interstate 70 that said: “Don’t make me come down there!” It was signed, “God.” That just might sum up the first reading and Gospel we hear this week.

Manna sounds like a pretty nice treat, doesn’t it? Some parts of Scripture make it appear like a near relative to milk and honey. Surprisingly, it got its name because when the Israelites first discovered it on the desert floor they said something like, “Manna?”

Were there weeds in the Garden of Eden? The day I heard that there is such a thing as dandelion wine I started to question the either/or classification of plants as good or weed. Who are we to judge?

We usually refer to today’s Gospel story as the story of the good Samaritan. But the person at the center, the one who most likely represents us and needs to learn something, is the lawyer Jesus wouldn’t let off the hook. Luke doesn’t name him, so let’s call him “Roger.”

The website “The Beatles Bible” dubs “Imagine” as John Lennon’s most iconic song. According to Wikipedia, Lennon once explained that it was an “anti-religious, anti-nationalistic, anti-conventional, anti-capitalistic” song that got “sugar-coated” into acceptability.

Mission has always been central to my life as a Dominican. I am a biblical scholar, working primarily in the area of biblical prophetic texts, while simultaneously wondering about and interrogating the prophetic text called “life.” My work as a biblical scholar and teacher is more than a career; it is a vocation.

<p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em; color: rgb(65, 64, 66); font-family: Merriweather, Times, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In the days when Catholics fasted from midnight before receiving Communion and were convinced that the odds were quite slim that Protestants would go to heaven, my mother had great admiration for a Lutheran friend of hers.

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Pencil Preaching for Thursday, June 20, 2019

Signs of the Times: Although Francis places a very high value on celibacy, he is also a pragmatist who recognizes that indigenous communities are being denied the Eucharist and the sacraments because they don’t have priests.

On May 7, we contacted every member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. We sought their support for our call to censure Rep. Brian Sims for his bullying and his vicious anti-Catholicism. Two days later we called for a criminal probe. We were encouraged by the response we received. What Sims did on May 5 [...]

On May 11, Vice President Mike Pence spoke at Liberty University's Commencement, offering a stirring address. "The truth is," he said, "we live in a time when the freedom of religion is under assault." He cited Christian persecution worldwide as Exhibit A. Pence also talked about attacks on religion in the United States. He said [...]

Many Democrats running for president endorse reparations to African Americans because their ancestors were enslaved. Before we go any further, I want to know how much I owe Oprah. The idea of reparations for African Americans is seriously flawed. Some argue that if the Japanese received reparations, why shouldn't blacks? It is true that in [...]

HONG KONG -- Cardinal John Tong Hon, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Hong Kong, and the chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Council called on chief executive Carrie Lam to withdraw a controversial extradition bill.

In a June 19 statement, Cardinal Tong and the Rev. Eric So Shing-yit, who leads the council that includes 21 churches, also appealed to the special administrative region government to "launch a thorough independent inquiry" into clashes between police and protesters opposed to the bill days earlier.

The two religious leaders also said they accepted Lam's June 18 public apology for the conflict over the extradition bill that has provoked mass demonstrations.

Lam first announced June 15 she had suspended the bill that would allow mainland China extradition rights over any Hong Kong resident, including foreign nationals and tourists, ucanews.com reported.

However, Hong Kong residents were not satisfied with Lam's announcement and turned out in even greater numbers June 16 than the 1 million estimated to have marched on June 9, reported ucanews.com.

In reissuing her apology, Lam told reporters that she accepted much of the responsibility for the "deficiencies in the work of the SAR government over the amendment exercise."

"This has led to controversies, disputes and anxieties in society. For this I offer my most sincere apology to all people of Hong Kong," Lam said.

However, Lam did not agree to protesters' demands to withdraw the extradition bill, retract the characterization of the June 12 protest as a "riot," seek responsibility from the police over instances of brutality, drop charges against protesters and resign as the city's leader.

As Lam's media conference was about to start, the Colloquium of Six Religious Leaders of Hong Kong, which comprises representatives of the Catholic Church, Protestant churches, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and Confucianism, released a statement to ask Hong Kong people to accept her apology. Cardinal Tong leads the colloquium.

The religious leaders' statement said Lam had met the religious leaders June 17 and that agreed to listen to criticisms in the future. The colloquium also called on people to return to their daily routines to end the conflict and asked the government to use leniency in meting out punishment to arrested protesters.

Biddy Kwok, president of the Justice and Peace Commission of Hong Kong, believes only that Lam's resignation can solve the conflict.

"Although she apologized, she did not admit she did wrong and refused to make a correction to withdraw the bill. She only said she will do better in the next three years during her term," Kwok told ucanews.com.

John Mok Chit-wei, a young Catholic, did not accept Lam's apology.

"She totally ignored the demands of the protesters, such as the complete withdrawal of the bill and to stop charging protesters with rioting," he told ucanews.com "She also strongly defended the police's use of excessive force. How can Hong Kongers accept such an apology?"

Mok also criticized the colloquium's statement.

"The statement asks people to accept Lam's apology and go back to school and work to stop further conflict," he said. "But the leaders seem to be ignorant of the source of conflict. The government is the source."

The greatest enemy of the poor are those who champion their cause. It sounds counterintuitive. How can this be? Because most of those who lead the charge against poverty have no personal stake in their cause. Unlike Mother Teresa, who made it clear that helping the poor must begin with those who carry their banner, [...]

Retired Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton died June 18 after a prolonged illness. He died at his retirement residence at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Modesto. He was 77.

There are few columnists more passionate in their defense of abortion rights than New York Times op-ed columnist Michelle Goldberg. She is so obsessed with this issue that she can justify abortion for any reason and at any time during pregnancy. In keeping with the position of pro-abortion zealots such as New York Gov. Andrew [...]

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is stood fast against militant secularists who wanted him to take down a social media post that sent Easter greetings; the post also cited a Bible verse. Ducey, who is a practicing Catholic, did not bow to pressure from anti-religion activists, saying that his official Facebook page would continue to offer [...]

Lawyers have attorney-client privileges, journalists are allowed to keep their sources confidential, and priests have "penitential communication" privileges. In all three cases, it has long been deemed necessary to afford these rights lest injustice prevails. But now the latter right is under attack in California. In February, California State Senator Jerry Hill introduced Senate Bill [...]

The House of Representatives has begun debate on a bill that will overturn at least nine pro-life policies, including reinstating taxpayer-funded abortion domestically and abroad, according to Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey.

One of the accused shooters at a Colorado high school May 7 had a history of trashing Christians and glorifying Satanism; the other was a girl trying to transition to a boy; and the young man who died while heroically trying to save the lives of others was a Catholic who loved his faith. Somehow, [...]