The story you are about to read is the earliest known account of a Christian martyrdom. Written about AD 156, within a year of the event it describes, it is an authentic eyewitness report of the heroic death of an elderly man named Polycarp. Continue »

Isn’t it amazing the way Scripture turns so many things upside down? The meek inherit the earth, while the proud are humbled and brought low. It’s only in dying that we find life. Those who are last become the first. Over and over again in Scripture, things are not what they seem, and the more time we spend reading the Bible, the more paradoxes we seem to find. Continue »

I remember seeing a billboard once that showed a graphic portrayal of Jesus suffering on the cross. Underneath was the caption “Be a priest like me.” It was a startling message for vocations. Continue »

When I was a Jesuit novice, I was introduced to a wonderful method of contemplative prayer. Actually, it’s more accurate to say that I was introduced to contemplative prayer—period. Continue »

Have you ever been surprised by your children’s reaction to something you did for them? Perhaps you brought home a small toy for your son, and he continued to thank you for several days afterwards. Continue »