Lessons from Loyola Hall

In a few days the Church will celebrate one of the most profound feasts in the liturgical calendar: the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, which focuses on those in purgatory. When we “offer up” our sufferings, great or small, for others–especially those in purgatory–we are uniting ourselves both to the Cross of Christ and to those who will benefit from its offering.

In the story of the miracle at the wedding feast at Cana, Mary tells one of the servers at the wedding reception with regard to Jesus, “Do whatever He tells you to do.” So, what does He tell us? To love our God and then to love our neighbor. That order, Mr. Healey explains, is actually quite important.

Autumn takes its name from several possible ancient roots, but the general sense is that this is a time where things begin to turn cold and the year is coming to an end. It is natural, considering the weather conditions and the nearing year's end, to see autumn as a time of sadness. And yet, Healey writes, it is a time of great joy.

“Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." In what must be one of the most often quoted verses of the entire Bible, Jesus takes the discussion of whether or not to pay taxes and places it on a level beyond which His interlocutors could have ever expected to go. What does it really mean? Mr. Healey has the answer.