Recovering our lost integrity “What does God want?” “He wants his creation to recover its lost integrity.” Bishop Barron’s words from his homily for the first Sunday in September, Be Opened, explain everything. While God’s creatures search madly for answers to their despair and sense of meaninglessness, there is just one remedy. Only one method […]
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Moderation: A forgotten legacy from President Eisenhower We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations….we yet realize that America’s leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the
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Lack of gratitude Recently, I confessed my consistent failures in praying a nightly examination of conscience. Then I asked if the priest could make some suggestions. Father Charlie Banks replied, “Conscious examen” suggesting a review of the day, starting with the good things, giving thanks for them. Then on to those that hadn’t been so
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Lest we give offense Last Monday’s Gospel passage in the Christian liturgy details the peculiar passage about the Capernaum Temple tax. The disciples are reeling from what Jesus has told them at the start of the Gospel: the Son of Man is to be “…handed over to men. And they will kill him and he
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Saint James Church, Medjugorje, Bosnia Saint James and Medjugorje Saint James isn’t a saint I’ve thought much about–until Thursday’s daily 6am Mass, that is. July 25 is Saint James the Greater’s Feast Day. During that liturgy, I got a nudge–more a push– to dump the reflection I’d written for today and write this new one.
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Return to right reason “How are you?” I stared at him, choked by the avalanche of tears threatening to erupt. Steve, my former doctoral advisor and head of dissertation committee, nodded and said, “Come see me.” I’d just completed a talk on medical ethics bolstered by my dissertation research.. My professional life was at an
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Maintaining the integrity of words isn’t my phrase. But that of Bishop Erik Varden and expresses a belief that is dear to my heart. Why do I think it so dear that it warrants 800 words? There are a number of reasons: even as a kid, I loved words. The process of learning to use
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See? I told you! Celtics coach Joe Mazzula interrupted his conversation with interviewers about the Celtics win of the NBA basketball playoffs to grin at the off-camera shout, “We DID it!” and reply, “See, I told you!” “Joe, what did you tell Jayson?” Only then do we understand that the shouter was Jayson Tatum, the
Stir into flame Saint Paul’s Letter to Timothy from last week’s Christian liturgy feels directed to each of the 8.1 billion living souls in this June of 2024. Although there’s controversy about authorship and dates of these letters, orthodox concensus declares it as Paul’s last letter. He writes to his successor in Ephesus, from prison.
Restoring our glory “Come ye, let Us make man in Our image, and according to Our likeness.” Now by this word “Us” He maketh known concerning the Glorious Persons [of the Trinity]. And when the angels heard this utterance, they fell into a state of fear and trembling, and they said to one another, “A
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