Mary M. McGlone

Scripture for Life: What's not to love about John the Baptist? Frankly, just about everything if you happen to be the object of his acidic critiques.

Scripture for Life: The Advent season combines penitence and hope. It reminds us that our hope is little more than childish wishes until we recognize how we have failed to live up to our human vocation. 

Scripture for Life: Christian art is graphic theology. The Christian community makes theology experiential. The life of the baptized can never be neutral. We who pray, "Thy kingdom come," are always presenting an image of Christ to the world.

Scripture for Life: The Gospel tells us that we can accept today's crises — from the personal to the cosmic — as God-given occasions of grace and opportunities to give witness. 

Scripture for Life: Sometimes, it seems that facing a fiery furnace once and for all is easier than overcoming the incessant enticements of society's promotion of shallow meaning, oppressive power, and self-serving relationships. 

Scripture for Life: Zacchaeus' story, like the rest of the Christian Scriptures, reminds us that God first loves us; God's love is all that we need and that it is the only power that can make us worthy.

Scripture for Life: Only those who know their need for God will pray in a way that God can answer. God likes us best when we are humble enough to admit to ask for help and are open to receive what God wants to give.

Scripture for Life: Who taught you to pray? How did they explain the purpose of prayer? How has your image of God changed as you have grown? How has your way of praying changed as you have matured?

Scripture for Life: Jesus made no gesture and said no word of healing; he simply told them to go to Jerusalem and show themselves to the priest. Of course, that was forbidden; they couldn't go near others because they were lepers. They went away — whether feeling dismissed or hopeful, we have no idea.

Scripture for Life: Jesus was absolutely convinced that the power of God's love was like a seed that, given the right conditions, would change the world. But he also knew that it doesn't happen overnight.

Scripture for Life: Jesus didn't tell parables as comforting bedtime stories. Parables should wake us up. The first sign that we are hearing Jesus' message is that it makes us uncomfortable.

Scripture for Life: Today, as we pray for a clean heart, Luke teaches us that sharing God's heart will catapult us into prodigal freedom. God's first concern is always for the lost.

Scripture for Life: Today's Gospel suggests that many of us who assess discipleship by baptism, confirmation, liturgical ministry, etc., are far more comfortable than Jesus' followers should expect to be. 

Scripture for Life: One Sunday at a family gathering, my 4-year-old nephew called us all to attention: "Look at me!" It would be years before he could appreciate Sirach's advice, "Conduct your affairs with humility."

Scripture for Life: God loves diversity. That means God's glory cannot be glimpsed without appreciating the variety of people, cultures and creatures populating the universe.

Scripture for Life: Unless we are zombies, life is going to present us with conflicts. Today's Scriptures call us to discern how grace and God's Spirit are at play in the conflicts that come our way. 

Scripture for Life: This Sunday's three readings describe faith not as belief in something definitive, but radical openness to whatever God is bringing about. Faith keeps us in movement.

Scripture for Life: Whether we picture our deathbed, remember the value of an onion, think about the futility of a dead man's big barns, or simply sit to appreciate the grandeur of nature, these August days are made for more than busyness and stuff. 

Scripture for Life: When Jesus teaches the disciples to pray, he offers a number of phrases that work together to sum up Christian life and mission. But the gist of his teaching about prayer is that God wants to give us what will give us life. 

Scripture for Life: Today's Gospel reminds us that Christ's presence means little if we stay too busy to soak it in. We too are called to real presence — in our prayer and with everyone we meet.