“There’s a legend that’s known both here and afar, ‘bout a belief that we have in a magical star; Wise Men were overwhelmed but what would they bring, as the star came to rest over the newborn king!” Local citizens are sometimes surprised to learn that there are places within Kansas City that are not […]
The poem below, by an anonymous author, entitled, ‘Twas the Night Before Jesus, will seem rather corny to some readers, including me, but the underlying message is significant. Sometimes we want the resurrection without the crucifixion, the incarnation without the struggles of living, the wood of the crib without the wood of the cross, the […]
The Rite of Baptism for Christians begins with parents stating the name of their child. This ancient tradition gives identity to the beloved baby human. Proverbs, 22:1, states: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; a family’s high esteem has greater value than gold.” Some have suggested that this identity is only meant […]
Advent is a mystical journey. Mary and Joseph set the tone for us with their journey to Bethlehem. It is a journey of trusting in visions and locutions, a journey of being ostracized and ridiculed, a journey of believing in impossible things, an adventurous journey that changed the course of human history. Their journey weaves […]
The Greek word “metanoia” is sometimes used in church jargon. It means an about-face or one-eighty-degree change—a total turn-around conversion. This week in Kansas City many sports fans marveled over how our major league baseball team fared last year with a 56-106 record (tied for worst in their history) compared to where they ended up […]
“This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it, or I can use it for good. What I do today is important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes this day will be gone […]
Structures exist in most societies because people usually benefit from parameters that contain us and systems to guide us. That is the general rule; but exceptions accompany most rules. Whether our nation’s political structure or our church’s ecclesial institution or our society’s justice system, there are corruptible flaws that harm citizens and communities; and there […]
Americans love our annual Independence Day break in the first week of July as we stretch the national holiday through its closest weekend getting as many hours out of it as is permitted. Whereas our nation’s oldest holiday, Thanksgiving, is a day of dependence—upon God, blessings of nature, hard work, camaraderie, and generosity of others—this […]
Freedom of Speech, as spelled out in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, protects the right of individuals or communities to openly articulate opinions and ideas without interference, retaliation, or punishment from the government. We see that freedom expressed on college campuses and across the American landscape, especially as spring turns to summer. […]
Early in my priesthood, I was privileged to be mentored by Monsignor Arthur Matthew Tighe, longtime pastor of Visitation Parish, site of my first assignment in 1987. Then, like now, there were various discussions and debates among Catholics about how the church should function as a sacramental institution, a hierarchical enterprise, a community of faith […]
UPON THIS ROCK 