Readings for February 8, 2015: Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time The Bible is not just for Churches and Synagogues. Portions of it are read as literature, even in secular university classrooms. Invariably, when you look at the syllabus of such…
Preach It!
The Lord Is My Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Psalm 23 is one of the most quoted psalms, and for many very good reasons. The familiar words remind us of God’s love for us, love which never wavers…
The Truth about In Vitro Fertilization
I came across a discussion on Facebook about a jury awarding $1.9 million to a teacher whose contract with a Catholic school was not renewed because she had violated her employment contract. I’m not going to comment on the merits…
Love Being Hated
I remember waiting for an elevator at a store. When it opened, there was a woman waiting to get off. I was lost in some random thought, so I rudely went in before letting her out. I realized my error…
Wednesday Morning Wedding
Black velvet “Reserved” signs draped over their back of the first two pews, with their gold fringe hanging down. Not that unusual for weekday mass, especially in the summer. We often celebrated silver or golden wedding anniversaries among our aging…
Can Evangelization Happen at a Parent Meeting?
Before you get too far into reading this post, I want to tell you there is no answer to that question here. At least not yet. However, there will be an answer in my next post two weeks from now….
Authority over Demons
Readings for February 1, 2015: Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time I’ve read many term papers in my day. Most of them are no more than a patchwork of quotes. That’s because college students are smart enough to know that they…
A Most Basic Skill
For quite some time, now my heart has been stolen by one of the iconic images of the faith. I am completely smitten by this picture every time I see it almost to the point of not being able to…
Does the New Evangelization Trump Ecumenism?
The New Evangelization seems new and exciting here in the United States. People talk about it a lot. We plan lots of events and programs to support the New Evangelization. And sometimes, we even overuse the phrase. But, ecumenism? Now…
Detachment from the World
Readings for January 25, 2015: Third Sunday of Ordinary Time Peter and Andrew were businessmen. So were their neighbors, James and John. They tried to wring a living out of the Sea of Galilee, and it probably took nearly all…