Readings for September 28, 2014: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Tim There will never be a shortage of words. Words are plentiful because talk is cheap. It’s easy to make a promise. Keeping a promise is an entirely different matter, as…
Talk vs. Action
How Can We Show Our Christian Courage?
“Be watchful, stand firm, be courageous, be strong, Let all that you do be done in love.” Corinthians 16:13-14 RSV-CE As Christians face global persecution, many Christians are left wondering what they can do to help. Many, unable to participate…
How to Bring Family Members Back Home to the Church
How many of us have family members who have left the Church? I would guess that most of us have at least one or more relatives who are no longer practicing their faith. A Pew Research Study reports that 10%…
Catholicism Is for People Who Don’t Fit in
I recently visited a nearby Evangelical congregation where everyone had a particular “look”. It wasn’t a bad look. It was good. They were delightful people who clearly loved God and loved their neighbor. There was a certain clean-cut wholesomeness to the…
Breath
I’ve been retired a while now and have been moved to the place where I am constantly reading and seeking all of the “natural” points of view about health. If you have done some looking at anything that hints of Oriental…
Catechetical Sunday: Themes Change, Conversion is Constant
Yesterday marked the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)’s annual celebration of Catechetical Sunday–an unofficial kick-off to parish catechesis, which generally starts in September (following the academic calendar). Catechesis is a hot topic and growing business these days. With more and…
The Generosity of God
Readings for September 21, 2014: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time “But that’s not fair!” Most parents have heard this phrase umpteen times. The notion of fairness, also known as justice, is wired into us. It makes us aware that each…
Angel of God, My Guardian Dear
Some time ago, the good sisters in Catholic schools would tell their students to “make room for their guardian angels.” In doing so the sisters were reinforcing the Church’s belief that our angels are always with us and watching us. …
Making Lives Count on Memorial Day
When Maria Wanchick of Bismarck, ND was thirteen years old, she thought of all the lives lost to abortion and imagined putting up some sort of memorial to represent their lives. “At the time, I thought about crosses,” she said…
Whose Name Is Written on Your Foot?
I sat down in my man-chair. It was comfortable. It was quiet. It was peaceful. I was happily reading some Sherlock Holmes. Life was good. Into the room came Offspring #2, who plopped down on the sofa and turned on…