None of us want our parishes to be a place that’s not welcoming, that’s not hospitable to the outsider, visitor, guest, or occasional-attender. The question is how? What to do? What can I as just one individual do to welcome someone at Mass?…
Reflections on Humanae Vitae Part I – What it Says
The Church is about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of its most famous encyclicals in the modern world: Humanae Vitae. Of course if you have read most of the press coverage, the word “celebrate” may seem a bit…
Reflections on a Covenant
For the husband is the head of the wife, even As Christ is the head of the church: And he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject Unto Christ, so let wives be To their…
The Truth about Reality
What is real? This is one of the most fundamental questions of philosophy. The french philosopher René Descartes tried to answer this question with his famous “Cogito, Ergo Sum”: I think, therefore I am. In this, he is right: we…
Not Changed, But Perfected
We live in strange times. I’m sure people of every age feel this way. There is a constant tension between the past and the future. New ideas and ways of thinking are scrutinized against a long tradition. But the last…
Making The Old New Again
I’ve always found today’s Gospel reading difficult to understand. It feels as though Jesus was light years ahead of John’s disciples, and even his own for that matter. Then a thoughtful soul explained that, no, you really can’t fast in…
Does Your Parish Have a Life?
I grew up in a large parish that had an elementary school. Most of my family’s social life revolved around parish and school events – Spaghetti Dinners, Summer Socials, Christmas plays and so on. Gatherings that took place off the…
Swept up by the Spirit
Swept Up in the Spirit: Journey of Transformation by Gary Garner is as mysterious as it is thrilling. In this testimony of conversion, he writes, “I have lived two vastly different lives—one spent exalting materialism and filled with spiritual darkness,…
Seek a Future of Hope (Jeremiah 29:11-14)
“When you look for me, you will find me.” –Jer 29:13 Through the prophet Jeremiah, God says to His people, “I know well the plans I have in mind for you.” Now if you’re like most of us, and have…
Immigration and the Catholic Church
There has been a lot of talk in the news and online about immigration to the United States, particularly illegal immigration along the southern border. Images of detention facilities from the previous and current presidential administrations have stirred up passions…