There are a few annual events this month that you may want to join and one big project to which I will dedicate the remainder of my active priesthood. The events include a parish picnic at Saint Francis Xavier on September 13, an “angel fund” watch party on September 21, and a Mass in Swope […]
The Jesuit priest, Henri de Lubac, once said, “The person who takes himself too seriously will not dominate his pain. His pain will dominate him, even if he seems to have got the better of it. It puts a strain on him, hardens him, withers him.” Not taking yourself too seriously is one of life’s […]
Some people think that priests who get assigned to inner-city ministries are being punished. Their comments give them away: “You must have done something awfully bad to get sent to the ghetto” or “The bishop must really have something against you to send you back there.” Though I have done some bad things in life […]
Among Bruce Springsteen’s greatest hits is one from the mid-nineties entitled, Secret Garden. The lyrics describe how a particular woman welcomes him into her life. Spending time together, they enjoy many common experiences, engage in countless conversations, share numerous intimate moments, and go deep into each other’s lives—but only to a particular point. At that […]
The book of Proverbs (Chapter 21) states: “A good name is greater than riches; high esteem is more valuable that silver or gold.” When we are born, our parents give us a name. That name helps to shape our identity. The Catholic baptismal ritual begins by parents stating their child’s name because the infant’s identity […]
In 1891 Pope Leo XIII wrote a famous encyclical called Rerum Novarum; the title translates into English roughly as “Of These Things” or “In New Times.” The document became the forerunner to the Catholic Worker Movement and the Catholic Social Teachings that help us maneuver through societal changes with Christ as our compass and guide. […]
As the United States enters our two hundred fiftieth year as a nation, we can look back with much gratitude for the freedom, liberty, and opportunities given to us, while we also call to mind the sorrows of many who sacrificed and suffered in the past as well as those who struggle today. We contemplate […]
Unlike most liturgical Sundays that are identified by numbers (Second Sunday of Advent, Fifth Sunday of Easter, Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time…), the five Sundays this June are identified by names: Ascension, Pentecost, Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, and Peter & Paul. These feasts help us focus on a concept or event that strengthens our relationship […]
Motivational speaker and acclaimed writer, David Brooks, in his book The Second Mountain, articulated four “commitments” that make a person’s life meaningful and fulfilling. The four foundations have to do with home life, work life, social life, and philosophy of life. In discussing them with various people and groups I know they ring true; though it […]
Ninety-eight years ago, Max Ehrmann wrote the prose poem Desiderata. It begins with the memorable and soothing line, “Go placidly amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence.” This pensive starter gives contrast to the noisy chaos of our hasty world in which it is so easy for us […]
UPON THIS ROCK 