Among famous last words, Sir Thomas More’s give Catholics the best advice for this year’s ugly and acrimonious political campaigns. As he was walking up the scaffold to his execution, the former Chancellor to Henry VIII summed up his predicament—and…
Last Words and First Freedoms
10 Commandments in the Modern World Part 2 – DO NOT TAKE THE LORD’S NAME IN VAIN
As I wrote in an early article about the “Hallowed be Thy Name” section of the Lord’s prayer, the name of God is sacred. His name is the greatest revelation that was given to the Hebrew people as sign of…
Zacchaeus
Readings for Sunday, October 23, 2016 the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Tax collectors have never been popular. But in Roman Palestine, they were particularly hated. It was bad enough that they collaborated with the foreign oppressors. It’s understandable that…
…And Then He Shall Answer Them….
“For I say, by the grace that is given me, to all that are among you, not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise, but to be wise unto sobriety, and according as God hath divided to…
Priests Need Your Love and Prayers, Not Your Criticism
We’re so used to getting what we want when we want it, myself included. And I’ve written before about how we get caught up in the details, and this can cause us to stray from a path of non-judgment and…
Face It
When it comes to Saints and Holy Things we all tend to get a bit overwhelmed by the realities that those situations present to us. Realities such as: 1. Saints were all simply ordinary people just like you and me….
Being a Sheep: Joy, Confidence, and Life Abundant
The comfort God gives to us by giving us Jesus his Son as our Shepherd isn’t just some poetic, feel-good pasture scene that goes over well in Vacation Bible School or children’s catechesis. No–it’s a reality with hard-hitting promises and assurances. John…
Prayer
Sunday Readings for October 16, 2016 I’ve often heard people say that they don’t want to trouble God with their petty needs and concerns. After all, he has more important things to attend to, like running the universe. Yet, the…
Giving them roots and wings
Is it possible that in one short weekend our family of five is reduced to three? Yes. Friday: All the preparations for our son’s wedding are in place. Tuxes ready; church and reception hall decorated; hair and makeup in place;…
Don’t Engage with the Tempter
There are so many sources of temptation today. Though they classically come from three sources — the world, the flesh, and the devil — or what Aristotle might call their efficient causes, they manifest in many different people, places, and…