Mission to places “where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or even no longer consider themselves members of the Church, and live a life far removed from Christ and his Gospel” is a…
Ponder the Theologies of the “Lost” Baptized
The Deeper Meaning of Christmas
Readings for Christmas, Dec. 25, 2016 In the days of Caesar Augustus, an era of peace was established in the Mediterranean world after centuries of strife. But this peace was forged by the proud ambition of emperors and the edge…
Welcoming a Child
Then [Jesus] took a child and had him stand in front of them. He put his arms around him and said to them, “Whoever welcomes in my name one of these children, welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me, welcomes not…
Monseigneur Robert Hugh Benson, Novelist
A gifted novelist, essayist, and evangelizer, Robert Hugh Benson was born the youngest son of Edward White Benson and his wife Mary. Edward was an English Anglican priest. The Bensons had two other sons, Edward Frederic and Andrew Christopher. “Hugh”,…
Advent Vocabulary
One of the gifts of our Church is the way that our rituals are folded into the rhythm of life. So it is with the season of Advent. In our Liturgical practice, Advent is really the doorstep to Christmas and…
God in a Box
A few Sundays ago the gospel reading was about Jesus being questioned by the Pharisee and He in a brilliant manner put them in their place with His answer. A few days later I was thinking about this story and…
The 10 Commandments in the Modern World Part 4 – Honor Your Mother and Father
With the general breakdown of the family, this commandment can be harder and harder to follow. What does it mean to honor your parents? It of course means to respect them, but it also means that while they are raising…
The Christmas Story’s Best Supporting Actor
Readings for the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 18, 2016 In the drama of the incarnation, Jesus is, of course, the star. That’s the way it is at every birth. All eyes are on the baby. The co-star, though, is…
Putting the pieces back together
A dear friend calls — her marriage is on the brink of despair. Another texts, “Please pray; I am losing my home.” Some of us feel the pain of estranged relatives or friends. Somehow, the holidays just magnify the pain. Shattered…
Trust Jesus Enough to Wait for Him
Doing the right thing in the modern world is full of challenges and difficulties: we struggle with our own limitations while being bombarded with troubles from all quarters. A globalized world with inputs from all quarters is sometimes too much…