The BBC report that an archeological site in Jordan may be the earliest Catholic Church, used from 33 AD to 70 AD, reminds us of many things.
The photo really shows the limited confines of the first Catholics when celebrating the mass—which during that period was done in homes—and reminds us of the wondrous growth of the still small voice raised in Israel two thousand years ago, into the Church Universal we are blessed with today.
A book review of a new book on original sin appears in the Wall Street Journal. The reviewing of the many responses to humankind’s dark side—over the centuries—reveals a response that, when kept within prudent bounds, has accomplished a lot of good and brightened the life we all share; but when going to extremes with the utopian schemes which continue to plague us, well, then the wheels seem to fall off.
The reality of God is not in the earthquake of revolutionary change, but in the barely heard whisper of our hearts responding to the best in us, steadily, steadfastly, over a lifetime of devotion, charity, and working for justice.
