At age 16, I thought that aspiring to holiness was out of the question. If you really wanted to be holy, I thought, you had to be a priest, nun, or brother. And you had to spend your days doing…
All Saints Day means Holiness is for all!
Empathy Means Stepping Out
Which comes first in your parish–Believe, Belong, or Behave? Are people expected to conform to a certain (hidden at times!) code of behaviors about where kids are sent to school, how one dresses, or what kind of music you listen…
The Radical Rabbi and the Great Commandment
They are at it again. In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus’ opponents enlist a lawyer to do what lawyers do best- ask a question that puts a person on the hot seat. “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Matthew…
The NEW Armor of god?
Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of…
Trust God and Get Some Rest
The protector of Israel never dozes or sleeps. Psalm 121:4 Problems sneak into our lives right under God’s nose—or so it seems. It’s only natural that we do all we can to solve them. God gave us our brains and…
A Russian Evangelist: St. Sergius of Radonezh
Saint Sergius was known as a spiritual leader, a monastic reformer of medieval Russia and one of the most highly venerated saints of Russia. Born May 13, 1314, this man was baptized Bartholomew, after the Apostle Bartholomew. His parents were…
Sunday in Galilee: Stilling the tempest
My journal entry continues describing one Sunday during a 1988 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Last month I wrote about a Mass in Galilee, celebrated in Aramaic and Arabic, the closest language to that which Jesus spoke. After Mass at…
Jewels in Heaven
And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Mal. 3:17, KJV) Picture…
Forgiveness: It’s Complicated
What does the word “forgiveness” mean to you? A burden? Something we are obliged (but never really want) to do? Letting someone off the hook? Pushing down hurt and anger? Dealing with lingering guilt? Figuring out how to move on in a…
Absolute Truth and Relativism
Last time, we thought about objective and subjective statements. Let’s look at a similar (and sometimes confused) pair of words: absolute and relative. Why do we care about these words? In 1884, Pope Leo XIII wrote against the relativistic philosophy…