Just as our church has annual holy days to honor noble saints so does our nation have annual holidays to honor noble citizens. As we approach Martin Luther King Day (January 19), we’ll be reminded that it is not supposed to be a day off but a day on; some think of it not as […]
As we reach the twelfth day of Christmas, it is with a little sadness. Traditionally, it marks the time to turn off holiday lights and pack away decorations giving way to a new year and a return to ordinary life. The Bible’s final Christmas story is of the Magi, the three wise men who come […]
Each year, Catholics commemorate aspects of the early life of Jesus on various feasts during the Twelve Days of Christmas. Included therein is the Gospel story of His family’s flight into Egypt as immigrants who sought asylum from terror in their home country. In modern America, as well as many places around the globe, we […]
When growing up, I had lots of cousins. There were about fifty of us on my father’s side of the family. Jimmy was five or six years older than me; I was close with his sister, Jeanne, who was more my age. He had three older brothers and, like them, was well rounded, handsome, and […]
Advent is a time to believe in impossible things. Prophetic writers foretell of a virgin birth, and scriptural passages that dominate our liturgical gatherings this month offer scenes in which wolf and lamb, lion and goat, leopard and calf coexist in peace. Though it is not impossible to conceive of a world where predator and […]
Communication is, and probably always will be, the Achilles heel of healthy relationships. Healthy communication takes work, patience, and continual attention. Each November as Thanksgiving gatherings inaugurate the holiday season, numerous families are concerned with relationships that are strained and interactions that could be explosive. Some who are on different sides of the political spectrum […]
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 […]
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 […]
UPON THIS ROCK 