We Christians do not celebrate the Sabbath per se. The original Sabbath, still observed by our Jewish brothers and sisters, is Saturday, the day God rested from creation. For Christians, the Sabbath has been replaced by “The Lord’s Day,” which…
The 10 Commandments in the Modern World Part 3 – Keep Holy the Sabbath
First the Fast, Then the Feast
Readings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, December 4, 2016 Christmas cards speak about it. Christmas carols sing about it. Even the angels at Bethlehem proclaimed it. “Peace on earth.” “The lion shall lie down with the lamb.” (Is 11)….
Praising God In Everything
I n today’s responsorial, take from Psalm 147, we are urged to praise God in everything because it is right to do so. We praise God wholeheartedly, not just with our lips, but with our songs and poems, indeed our…
Images of Christ in Those Around Us…and in Ourselves
I was looking through old photographs the other day. Yes, actual have-them-developed-and-hold-them-in-your-hand type of photographs. Many of the people in those images are no longer part of my life. Some have died. Some have moved on, and some I simply…
Does Everything “Happen for a Reason”?
Several months ago I came across a blog post where someone referenced an article titled “Everything Doesn’t Happen For A Reason”. Many were saying how pleased they were to hear someone say this because the author was pointing to situations…
Talk About Heaven
As human beings, we seem hard wired toward sharing news when it’s great news. We enthusiastically communicate with others all the time when we have really good news to share. It doesn’t take any special training or programmatic preparation. So…
Advent: The Real Meaning of Christmas Lights
Readings for the 1st Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2016 As fall moves onward towards winter we have places to go, things to do, people to meet. Yet as we go about our business, we notice the days are getting…
…Silence
And all the multitude held their peace; and they heard Barnabas and Paul telling what great signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. Acts 15:12 Take your cell phone and turn it off for an hour….
Helpfulness
Help others and you will be helped. Proverbs 11: 25b We can’t help others without helping ourselves. Helping others gives us a sense of purpose. It makes us feel useful, maybe even important. Reaching out to others generates good will….
Henry Edward Manning, Cardinal of Social Justice
Henry Cardinal Manning was one of those remarkable men and women of 19th century England who reversed the decline of Roman Catholicism and helped make the religion acceptable in England, Scotland and Ireland again. Others who worked alongside Cardinal Manning…