Less Than the Best for Christ

By Raymond Bucko, SJ from Omaha, NE, USA (Icon of Saint Xenia) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Last weekend, we celebrated the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee (the parable found in Luke 18:9-14). It is quite the cautionary tale for us “good” Christians. It serves as a warning for us that even the most Christian-y, virtuous things we do can be ruined by pride and vainglory. In the parable, the … Read more

Pre-Lent: What do I Desire?

In many Eastern Christian churches, yesterday was the Sunday of Zaccheus and the beginning of Pre-Lent. Yes, indeed, while most of us are still trying to recover from Christmas, Pre-Lent has already begun. It is the season that precedes Lent, also known as the Great Fast. The Church Fathers believed that now is the time … Read more