This was supposed to be the year of perfect, 20/20, vision in which we gain incredible spiritual insight into God working in our lives.  Instead, we get COVID-19, the coronavirus.  Ironically, it is forcing many of us to treat Lent in the way that spiritualists have urged us to do for years. Among their urgings […]

A church that worships itself fails to worship God.  This is a major concern for those who have left the Catholic Church in recent years.  They witnessed as the church sought answers by referencing itself rather than referencing God.  They watched as the church defended and protected itself rather than defending and protecting God’s people […]

Catholic Mass begins and ends with the presiding priest touching his lips to the altar.  That is because there is a stone encased in altars that holds a relic of a saint.  The kissing gesture connects the people of earth with those of heaven through our touchstone.  It is in worship that humanity and divinity […]

Lent is a most wonderful, grace-filled, and joyous season within Christianity.  The forty-day journey begins with a mark of ashes, sign of our mortality and communion with God.  On the Sunday following Ash Wednesday, we read or hear a Gospel account of Jesus going into the desert for forty days and nights to contend with […]

Leap Year occurs every four years in order to synchronize our calendar year with the solar year, i.e., the length of time it takes the earth to orbit the sun—roughly 365¼ days.  “Leaping” is mentioned in Sacred Scripture several times in relationship to being in the presence of God.  Among the most common passages from […]

On Saturday morning, February 29, Rockhurst High School will host the annual Women’s Day of Reflection to inaugurate the Lenten Season.  This year’s theme is Vision.  It’s a perfect focus for 20-20 as we desire to be nearsighted enough to see today and farsighted enough to envision the future, farsighted enough to think globally and […]

Hail to The Chiefs!  The palindrome date, O2-02-2020, will long be remembered in KC.  What an amazing fourth quarter, third consecutive playoff double-digit comeback, and unbelievable season for the Super Bowl Champions! Among the many highlights of this dream season, behind Andy Reid’s genius, Tyreek Hill’s speed, Travis Kelce’s strength, Damien Williams’ explosiveness, Patrick Mahomes’ […]

It all started late last January after the championship game: a tough overtime loss and long year to re-load and re-aim. A season of ups and downs still landed us atop the AFC west but the goal is more than that: it is to be the very best. Earning postseason play with Titans, Texans, Vikings, […]

A week ago on Sunday, as the divisional playoff game at Arrowhead was getting underway, my family gathered for Mass at my mom’s house.  In her ninetieth year, she is weakening and because she has been unable to get to church, one of the few places she would leave home to go, we brought church […]

In The Two Popes, there is a brief scene in which the future Pope Francis tries to get the Holy Pontiff, Benedict XVI, to dance.  It reminded me of the liturgical hymn, Lord of the Dance, written by Sydney Carter in the 1960’s.  While some religions frown on dancing, others encourage it.  The song’s author […]