Christmas is upon us. And there is no better time to remember how wonderfully unexpected it all was. To be sure, the Israelites were desperately waiting and expecting the coming of the Messiah. But God has a funny way of…
Plans of Man, Plans of God
Giving God the Gift of Obedience
You know the drill. You’ve got the list. It includes relatives close and distant, the neighbor’s kids, teachers, friends and so on. But I’ll bet there’s someone of great import that you left off your list: God. Right, that’s God,…
Our Savior has Come
T’was the night before Christmas, when deep in my soul I felt such a peace, not even a worry The manger was set, the tree lights twinkled Knowing Jesus would soon be here The faithful were sure the Son would…
The Mystery of the Incarnation
Readings for December 21, 2014: Fourth Sunday of Advent “Mystery,” he sneered. “That’s a good Catholic word.” My friend was a fundamentalist who had more than a bit of antipathy towards the Catholic Church, charging that it added to the…
A Prayer for the Internet
The Internet has it all: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Like everything in life, it’s a battleground of good and evil, best navigated by staying near to God. The Good Prior to the Internet, computers were euphoric enough…
The Sower
Again he began to teach them by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the water and sat there. The whole crowds were at the lakeside on land. He taught…
Bad Priests
I’ve been thinking, recently, about the impact of bad priests on the Church. No, not on the Church – but on the lives of particular members of the Church, on the family and friends who have encountered them, who have…
Why Are You Hosting That Festival, Fish Fry, or Carnival Again?
In many parts of the United States, Catholic parishes are widely known (and loved) for hosing various annual festivals, bazaars, fish fries, carnivals, picnics, and more. The question is–why? Often, the historic reason is to joyously celebrate and mark the…
John the Baptist and Spiritual Joy
Readings for December 14, 2014: Third Sunday of Advent On the third Sunday of Advent, penitential purple gives way to pink and we celebrate “Gaudete” or “Rejoice!” Sunday. “Rejoice heartily in the Lord, says Isaiah” (61:10). “My Spirit finds joy…
Christmas Gifts in Advent
Every Advent in 6th grade catechism class we cover prophecies by Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah, Zechariah, and Malachi. I read each passage and the kids figure out what it prophesies. Mostly they anticipate something about Jesus, but not always….