When I drive by Serenity Funeral Home on Bannister Road at Troost Avenue on my daily commute, I think of Frank Costanza from Seinfeld fame.  In one episode, Frank sought to master interior peace through the spiritual mantra, “Serenity Now.”  But since Mr. Costanza was notorious for creating emotional havoc through thunderous outbursts, volatile impatience, […]

When Jesus died on Mount Calvary, the soldiers stripped off His garment and cast lots for it.  Because it was a seamless cloth, they determined that it should not be torn and divided.  As with the story of the Messiah’s birth when the baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes, we use the image of a […]

Celebrating my birthday with siblings this week it hit me that, since I was born in ’59 and lived in eight different decades, I am dangerously close to being labeled an octogenarian.  My older sister who hosted the gathering reflected on her recent high school reunion when classmates agreed that it was more fun and […]

I think it was G. K. Chesterton who once quipped that there should be a ninth Beatitude and it should read: “Blessed are the broken-hearted, for they provide a crack by which God can enter and dwell within them.”   With broken hearts, many parents have had to bury their child.  I don’t know a […]

In the sixth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus instructs His disciples to come and rest for a while.  In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells an inspiring story about a servant who works hard all day in the field.  As the sun goes down, his tired body drags in, not to lounge or slumber but, to wait […]

Rockhurst University’s motto, Sapientia Aedificavit Sibi Donum, translates as “Wisdom has built herself a home.”  The plot of land between Troost Avenue and The Paseo, north of 52nd to almost 55th Street south, houses this standard.  Built on solid and fertile soil, it is truly an educational and spiritual anchor in our local Catholic community […]

This prayer, written by Bishop Ken Untener (1937-2004), reminds us of our earthly journey, our spiritual ministry, and our ongoing mission.  It speaks to me, particularly, as I complete my assignment at Saint Charles Borromeo Parish and begin a new task at Rockhurst University and parishes in Kansas City’s urban center.  The work we do […]

While my mom found sanctuary and peace in the little Catholic mission church of my hometown, amid statues, stained-glass, incense, and the quiet darkness surrounding a veiled tabernacle near a tiny flame symbolizing the light of Christ, my dad found energy, life, comfort, and motivation in local pubs.  During the forty years that I knew […]

We are told in the fourth chapter of Mark’s Gospel that Jesus once taught using an image of a farmer who tills soil, plants seed, waters it, and, while he is doing other things, the seeds begin to spout over time.  He knows not how it happens, but it is happening even while he sleeps.  […]

It has been said that you can tell how good a coach or manager is at his job by how well the team plays after he departs.  The same is true for bosses or pastors.  If they bring a winning attitude of faithfulness, success, and confidence, it will remain after they leave.  I arrived at […]