Prayer has been heavily on my mind these last few weeks. It began on retreat when the question “how do you pray?” was posed and the group asked to respond. Everyone who answered talked about the prayers they say each…
St. Catherine of Siena and Prayer
Miracles Jesus Couldn’t Do
Readings for July 5, 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Over the last two Sundays, the gospel of Mark has been making it abundantly clear that Jesus is indeed God Almighty, ruler of the world and lord over life and death….
The Flexibility To Serve
I’ve always found today’s Gospel reading difficult to understand. It felt as though Jesus was light years ahead of John’s disciples, and even his own for that matter. Then a thoughtful soul explained that, no, you really can’t fast in…
A Revolutionary Approach to the Bible: Jairus’ daughter & The Enlightenment
Readings for June 28, 2015, 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time In the days when states were still “the colonies” and men wore powdered wigs, a new way of thinking captured the intelligentsia of the western world. “The miracle stories in…
A Seeking Heart: Lost and Found
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope,” has been included in my scripture repertoire for about ten years…
The Philosophy of Laudato Si
Much has already been written about Pope Francis new encyclical. A great deal of that writing has analyzed the letter through a political lens. This is not illegitimate, as Pope Francis raises many issues that are explicitly political. And the…
Just a Dozen
If you are at all familiar with current culture you know that as far as our cultural values go, more is better! We have seen the quantities of “super-size” multiply at fast food outlets and “buy get one free” drives…
Finding God in all things
St. Ignatius of Loyola is one of my favorite saints. His spirituality is a very practical one which appeals to me very much. One of the questions or concepts he tries to teach is the notion that God is present…
Let me Ask you a Question
Readings for June 21, 2015, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time Have you ever had a teacher who drones on and on? Fact upon fact, argument upon argument. The teacher’s mistake is that he or she is providing a long and…
Honor your Mother
Although Mother’s Day has passed, it is never too late to thank and appreciate mothers. Whether on good or strained terms, God implores us to cherish our mothers. Mothers give us their love from the moment of conception. The bond…