In this month of Thanksgiving and table fellowship, many people struggle to buy groceries while government cutbacks to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) have limited food aid to low-income citizens and their families. As happens more than we want, while political partisans point fingers and blame those in rival camps, people of goodwill step […]
Nathan Soderblom once stated, “Saints are people who make it a little bit easier for the rest of us to be good.” They are light bearers, they are trail angels, they are people with rough edges like everyone else but who have somehow remained focused on God and our destiny toward a better existence. Or […]
Catholic bishops throughout the world make “ad limina” visits to Rome every five to ten years. These periodic trips bring them to the threshold or entryway, as the Latin word implies. “Ad limina” refers more specifically to the tomb, meaning the crypt of Saint Peter at the base of the Vatican’s high altar and that […]
I was first assigned to Saint Therese Little Flower (STLF) Parish, on Kansas City’s east side, in 1992. At that time, it had a parish school that served neighborhood children. One day I ran into the diocesan school superintendent there; she was walking the halls and visiting classrooms on her own (often when superintendents visit […]
Live, learn, work, retire, die. So goes the rhythm of earthly existence for many of us. Included in there, of course, is engagement with the world, participation in needful endeavors, faithfulness to our beliefs, love for those we cherish, and leaving behind a legacy. I never thought that I would one day retire as a […]
A sanctuary is a protected place where birds, animals, or people can gather to find refuge and safety from dangerous conditions. It’s original meaning has biblical roots and refers to an enshrined haven or holy place set apart because God’s presence is made manifest there. The portable tent used by Jewish ancestors while wandering in […]
In 1920’s Mexico, under President Plutarco Calles, clergy were restricted from public religious practices, religious education was outlawed, and many Catholics were persecuted, imprisoned, or executed for their faith. These anti-Catholic measures or “Calles Laws” continued for many decades. I hope that if I lived in Mexico at that time, I would have participated in […]
Far be it from me, a celibate priest, to offer advice on marriage. My comments herein are not advice, only observations. They start with remarks of nineteenth century philosopher Frederick Nietzsche who noted that it is not the lack of love that makes marriages unhappy, it’s the lack of friendship that does so. I think […]
I begin here by admitting that I never heard of Charlie Kirk until the day he was killed earlier this week. Like you, I know that we will hear and learn much more about him in the weeks, months, and years ahead, especially his movement, Turning Point USA, that engages young people in community affairs […]
Nineteenth Century British author John Ruskin once wrote: “The first test of a truly great person is humility…The greatest people among us have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but it is through them; they see something divine in every other person and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.” Humility links us […]
UPON THIS ROCK 