In the late eighth century before Christ, that is, the early 700s B.C., the Assyrians conquered Israel and began deporting their elite and craftsmen and replacing them with their own people. The goal of these mass deportations was to minimize the likelihood that the common people would start a rebellion. Among the first regions to be lost to Assyria were those in the Northern Kingdom, including Zebulun and Naphtali. These were the regions Isaiah prophecies about in our first reading, and…
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” How often have we heard this teaching of Jesus? We might even say it ourselves, whenever we give something to a friend or loved one, saying, “Ask and you will receive.” Or perhaps someone has said it to us after giving us something we need. It really is quite amazing how frequently the Christian repeats the sayings of Jesus. But, how often are we praying with this in mind? And how often…
Hailing just a few miles away from the famous Trenton Makes the World Takes bridge, Fr. Jim is a native Trentonian and priest of the Diocese of Trenton, New Jersey. After completing his seminary formation at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, MD, Fr. Jim was ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ on June 2, 2018.
