Proverbs 29:18 forewarns: “Where there is no vision, the people will perish.”  Many of us hoped that the Year 20-20 would bring us that perfect vision for which our world deeply longs, but the coronavirus directed us to a different vision in which we were coerced to gaze inward and, in some ways, see who […]

My mother died eleven months ago.  Many kind and generous people donated to a memorial scholarship fund established in her honor.  Gifts measured near $50,000 at the time of her death and contributions from my siblings have now put it over $75,000.  We hope to eventually build up a $100,000 endowment that will provide annual […]

My blog musings are written, in part, to inspire myself—and anyone else who reads them—to challenge the church we love to point to Christ, to imitate Christ, and to align with Christ first and foremost, instead of pointing to, serving, and protecting itself as an institution.  I believe that when Jesus established the church, He […]

Each year during Easter Week, we hear stories of Jesus’ appearance to His followers after the resurrection.  But even His closest companions did not recognize Him.  Mary Magdalene thought He was a gardener; Cleophas and his companion took Him for a fellow-sojourner; the Apostles, locked in quarantine, thought He was a ghost; the Disciples on […]

A priest I know periodically added to the Mass’s Prayers of the Faithful one that had shock-potential for worshippers.  He would proclaim: “Let us pray for all those who are dead but don’t yet know it…”  Taking a potshot at the walking dead among the Christian faithful who go to Mass out of routine or […]

There is a famous story in Christian tradition that tells of Saint Peter fleeing the persecutions in Rome during the first century to avoid his immanent death.  Along the road, he encounters Jesus who is walking the other way, toward the carnage.  Peter asks Jesus: “Quo Vadis?” which translates from Latin “Where are you going?”  […]

A ravine is a landform of depth and steep walls, narrower than a canyon and larger than a gully.  In the upcoming movie, The Ravine, it is the site and symbol of tragedy, grief, anger, deep sadness, evil spirits, mental agony, and torture.  Each of us understands these things on some level.  Kansas City producers, […]

According to Irish legend, centuries ago on the British Isles, where cemeteries were running out of burial space, graves got dug up to reuse or make better use of the small plots of land.  It was discovered that many coffins had scratch marks inside indicating that some of the departed were not actually dead at […]

The Catholic Church seems to be evaporating before our eyes.  Bishop Robert Barron claims that only 7% of American Catholics are engaged in parish life while 11% have left the church and 82% of those who self-identify as Catholic have drifted away, i.e., they are only nominally connected and no longer engaged in practicing their […]

Among great 1960s folk songs is “The Weight” by The Band.  As you listen, it might take you on an interesting Lenten odyssey.  A collaborative effort led by drummer Robbie Robertson, the lyrics do a deep dive for those seeking spiritual messaging, though the artists claim that searchers read far more into the words than […]