Fr. Samuel Keyes

Today’s parable of the laborers in the vineyard gives us a compelling and yet disorienting vision of the kingdom of God. As Fr. Simeon puts it, “The parable is a catechesis meant to transform the natural man and his pagan values and mentality into a Christian with the generous mind and redeeming Heart of Christ, that is, into a being capable of bearing the full joy and glory of a kingdom where every breath is an act of love.”[1] This is one of those gospel passages that, as a preacher,...

We can do no better than our collect for the day (14th Sunday after Trinity) at tying together the various themes from our readings: ALMIGHTY and everlasting God: give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command… In 1549 Cranmer translated that collect from the Sarum books, which in turn received it from a much older Roman tradition. In any case it implies something which we all know...

In case there was any misconception about how the Church understands the Petrine ministry – the office of the popes as the successors of St. Peter — the continuation of Matthew 16 today offers some important correctives. So often critics of the papacy balk at the idea of infallibility, imagining that Catholics think the pope is perfect and can make no mistakes. And far too often this criticism happens because of Catholics who hold exactly this naive view. In fact the teaching on infallibility...