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Ready for some real old-fashioned deviltry? ‘Tis Hallowe’en, as it used to be written. The Eve of the Feast of All Hallows. This is the beginning of the dark time, where shorter days and colder nights after the harvest have traditionally meant the onset of the hard season of winter. As such, many ancient peoples…

Jesus’ final parable at the end of his first discourse in Matthew from the boat takes advantage of the setting, for it’s all about fishing. Fish and boats become a common theme of his ministry, figuring in so many stories that the fish was adopted later on as a secret symbol of the faith. It…

Along with the Mustard Seed story in Matthew come several other one-liners that are almost as famous. The Good News in his first parables did not seem much like good news, as the gist of those was that the world was going to end and most people would not be saved. But these are found…

One of Jesus’ shorter, but for some reason, best remembered parables, is that of the Mustard Seed. Yet, like many of his better-known images, this one is a little shocking. The seeds of mustard plants can be ground to create the yellow condiment that goes best with hot dogs and the leaves are edible, too.…

The Paris Olympics pretty much lived up to their billing. The organizers planned well; not even a deluge during the opening pageant washed out the show. Gay Paree sparkled as never before. The spectacle was thoroughly French throughout, and fortunately there were few major problems. There were, however, some ominous glitches for those watching carefully…

The Parable of the Sower during Jesus’ famous preaching debut from the boat was just the start of his work that day. He later explained that one in detail privately to the disciples. Then he dealt out a handful of brief, pithy parables in rapid succession. In the Gospel of Mark, there is one parable…

That nerdy kid who shot former-president Trump might well have dreamed he would save the country. But the stupid punk merely handed Fearless Leader the greatest gift possible. History can be a real mean bitch when you try to slap her around, kids, no matter what your motive may be. The roaring lion is now…

Welcome to the new Word Unveiled blog! This used to be the site of my Heaven and Earth blog, which covered all things therein. However, with my deepening focus on Biblical interpretation, it was long overdue for a brand-new start. It has been delayed due to family, floods, and a funeral, and things may change…

There are only thirty or so major parables that Jesus gave in the New Testament, although he used a lot of figures and symbols in his teachings. But no explanations that he gave at the time to the disciples were handed down – except for two. Jesus explains the very first parable, the famous Parable…

Jesus first gained fame as a healer and wonder-worker. If making the blind see and the lame walk weren’t enough, surely the reputation of turning water into wine or feeding thousands would be enough to make anyone popular. But the real purpose of miracles seems to have been to draw crowds and make them more…

It is doubtless a sign of these apocalyptic times that Artificial Intelligence is being applied to everything — including religion. While many fascinating potential uses come to mind, ranging from novel translations to seeking hidden codes, the immediate applications seem directed at replacing actual clergy in counseling and consoling. There are several very good reasons…

Does God have regrets? Does he ever change his mind? Has he ever wished he had not done something? Has he ever had to improvise something on the fly? Has he ever needed a good friend to talk him out of a bad idea when something didn’t go right? Most Christians today and throughout most…

Jesus called two of his first disciples, the fishing brothers James and John, “Boanerges” which supposedly means “Sons of Thunder”. Why is not sure, but it’s thought that they earned it with their impetuosity, zeal, and general loudness. We all know, or have, brothers like that. Perhaps, along with “Rocky”, that is, Peter, they may…

The Roman emperor Nero was not well-liked, but he was greatly feared. He was, after all, the original Antichrist, as the numbers associated with the letters of his name in Greek add up to 666. Even after his death, it was widely believed that he would somehow return. So weird legends grew up around his…

There’s a simple reason why so many Christians oppose abortion and it has nothing to do with biology, as it is founded purely on theology. Old theology at that — the Protestants are following the Catholics without a quibble on this issue. The basis is the question: when does the human soul enter a developing…

Moses promised the people another “prophet like me” would be sent to speak the words of the Lord God [Deut. 18:15]. After the terrifying experience at Sinai where Yahweh landed in fire and clouds of smoke, complete with thunder, lightning, trumpettings and other special effects, the people were understandably reluctant to have to endure something…

Traditional Catholic teaching states that during the Mass, the bread and wine are mysteriously transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. In Catholicism, this miraculous change is called “transubstantiation.” This means that once the sacred words of Consecration are spoken there is a real, total cosmic transmutation of the blessed elements. Even if…

If one goes looking for secret meanings in the Bible, the parables of Jesus are the most logical place to begin. By definition, they conceal secrets, for a parable is a story that makes its point by hiding it beneath another superficial story, after all. Yet, Jesus apparently never had any hope that all those…

A parable is a short allegorical tale from which the listener is expected to take a lesson. It is a literary form related to poetry, fables, wise sayings, and edifying and instructional literature in general, in that a parable seeks to impart helpful information under the guise of an interesting story. But while a parable…

There are many mysteries surrounding the Last Supper. Why the sneaky, obviously pre-arranged business of sending the disciples to looking for a man carrying water to provide a place for the meal (Mk. 14:13-15)? What kind of meal was it – an ordinary dinner with Jesus and his closest disciples (as John said) or the…

The ritual forgiveness of sins — the Sacrament of Penance, or Reconciliation, Absolution, Confession or whatever, has been called by the Pope himself to be an “odious sacrament“, one that nobody wants to subject themselves to unless really necessary. For unlike other means of grace, this sacramental encounter between penitent and confessor is actually a…

The first big public address that Jesus gave in the Gospel of Matthew is called the Parable of the Sower. It was certainly a fine one to start with. His use of natural imagery was vivid and instantly understandable and it set the tone of the urgent need to reform that characterized all his teaching.…