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…
No Prayer Too Small
“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They…
Thirteen Years Later
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1) Last week we remembered the horrors of September 11, 2001. We remembered how the people of our great country and across the world…
The Exaltation of the Cross
Readings for September 14, 2014: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Terrorism is nothing new. It’s probably as old as the human race. In fact the cradle of civilization, now Iraq, was the home of the most infamous…
Trusting God: An Interview with Connie Rossini
I recently had a chance to interview Connie Rossini, author of Five Lessons from the Carmelite Saints that will Change Your Life and Trusting God with St. Therese. She lived for many years as a secular member of the Discalced…
Arkeology
This is primarily aimed at catechists; but if you like it, and aren’t a catechist, maybe you should be one. Every year in our journey through the Bible and the Mass, the kids in 6th grade Catechism learn about All the Arks….