As we approach Good Shepherd Sunday, the Catholic Church welcomes our new spiritual father, successor to Peter, and universal shepherd, Pope Leo XIV. Though his predecessor, Francis, was the first American pope and one who reached out to and established the church’s significance in the eastern hemisphere like none before him, Leo is the first […]
The French term for hospital, Hotel-Dieu, translates into English as “House of God.” Usually sponsored by religious groups and often operated by nuns or representatives of the church, hospitals served originally as places of care for the suffering, triage centers for those wounded in battle, and hospice facilities that offer solace and peace to the […]
Michaelangelo Buonarotti’s famous Pieta depicts the lifeless body of Jesus taken down from the cross and placed on his mother’s lap and in her loving arms. The horrific anguish of the scene illustrates that Christ’s rejection, condemnation, and killing by our world fulfilled the prophecy that a sword of great sorrow would pierce Mary’s heart. […]
The world became a better place because it got to know Francis. When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was introduced as the new pope in March of 2013, he reminded us of God’s merciful love and benevolent compassion for every person. As he promised his friends in Latin America, he would not forget the […]
Most of us believe that the Last Supper was a Passover Meal, or Feast of Unleavened Bread—at least that’s the way it is presented in three of the four Gospel accounts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke report it that way, but John offers a different view. In his Gospel, Jesus is crucified the day before the […]
When I was a kid in middle school, I broke my left arm at the elbow. It has never since been straight. In my twenties and again in my thirties, I had orthoscopic surgery on my left knee. For most of my life, I have favored my right side and now, in my sixties, I […]
While the New Testament scriptures were written in the first century, Christians were getting persecuted, especially in Rome. According to a famous legend, Peter, Jesus’ choice to lead the church, was fleeing the city to escape the suffering when he encountered Christ going the other way—into the wreckage and turmoil. Peter asked Him, “Where are […]
Mother Teresa once said, “At the end of life, we will not be judged by how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, taking in the homeless—hungry not only for bread but hungry for love, naked not only for […]
About thirty years ago, when I served as vocation director for our diocese, members of a particular religious order visited Kansas City to recruit future priests. They asked my help to secure a home where some young men could gather to learn about their order. A wonderful couple stepped up to graciously host them. After […]
“I arise today through the strength of heaven, light of the sun, radiance of the moon, splendor of fire, speed of lightning, swiftness of the wind, depth of the sea, stability of the earth, firmness of the rock. I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me…” It is with these words that the prayer […]
