I live in the land of year-round yard work. And sometimes it gets old. Last weekend the dead marigolds on one side and the weeds choking my rose bush on the other demanded attention. First stop, Home Depot Garden Center. …
Weeding
The Widow’s Mite
Readings for November 11, 2012: Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time The time lag between the two widows in this Sunday’s readings was considerable. Lots of things change in 800 years. But one thing their two societies had in common–they offered…
Making the Year of Faith More than Another To-Do
Most of us know the Latin phrase “Non quod non possis” as “You can’t give what you don’t have,” and we accept it as true. How often, though, do we attempt to deal with a full day’s schedule of work,…
Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Readings for November 9, 2012: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome As a rebellious teenager, I thought that Catholics should stop wasting their money on expensive churches. We ought to sell them all and buy food…
New Evangelization 1999
Today, we welcome Christian LeBlanc to the New Evangelizers blogging team! I’m about two-thirds of the way through an interesting book, Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell. It’s a blueprint for kick-starting the New Evangelization at the parish level. When…
Science and the Church
Bill Nye the Science Guy recently made news when he said that not teaching kids evolution is “harming” them. His exact words: “And I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, in…
Participating in the Paschal Mystery
In this Year of Faith, as we work on our own faith, we’re being told to read the Catechism. I read the whole thing when I started college. Perhaps it was simply a grace that I never asked for, but…
A Chalice Full of Talents
Recently our deacon gave his homily on Matthew 24:14-30, the parable of the talents. He presented the talents as the presence and grace of God, given to us in different amounts. At the sign of peace I realized there weren’t…
An App for the Year of Faith
The Year of Faith is, without a doubt, an exciting opportunity. It is, without fail, a chance to great things. It is, I must admit, completely overwhelming to me right now. Imagine my relief, then, to find that the Diocese…
Faith Like a Child
What does the phrase “we must have faith like a child” really mean? How can we mature in faith yet act like a child? The phrase came from one of Christ’s own teachings. Jesus told His disciples, “Amen, I say to you,…