“Make the people sit down,” Jesus told them. John 6: 10 The first thing Jesus did before miraculously feeding the five thousand was to have the people sit down. When we’re spiritually hungry, the first thing God probably needs us…
Rest in God
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, Evangelizer
Maria Francesca Cabrini stands next to Mother Teresa as the foremost evangelizing woman of the twentieth century. Yet few know much more about her than that she was the first American citizen canonized. Maria Francesca was the youngest of thirteen…
Joseph: The Earthly Father
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 KJV) Joseph, a humble Jewish carpenter, married a woman who was pregnant with a child that wasn’t his child. In…
St. Francis of Assisi and Pope Francis
When Jorge Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, I wrote about his choice of name “Francis.” As a Jesuit I wondered if he meant Francis Xavier. But it turns out that he made took on the name in honor of…
The Messianic Secret
Readings for the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jesus asks a simple question. “Who do the crowds say that I am?” (Luke 9:18) All volunteer an answer, because describing other people’s opinions requires no personal commitment whatsoever. But then Jesus…
Why call God “Father?”
This June not only the USA but at least 55 other countries around the world will honor the roles fathers play in the family and the community. This modern secular holiday invites us to ask a very important question –…
Visibly Anonymous
My Fabulous Wife and I went out to dinner for Mother’s Day at our neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Our adult kids are living in other cities, or were at work in this one, so it was just the two of us…
The Table
If you are a practicing Catholic you have most likely heard some form of this running joke: “That priest is talking too long, I need to get to the donuts.” Most every parish these days has a coffee hour where…
Catholics CAN learn from Scientific Faith
Last August (2015) an article was written in the Washington Post about the discovery of vessels which connect the brain to our immune system. I recently read about this discovery two months ago on one of my feeds and it…
Even Pharisees Aren’t So Bad
How many of of us have a positive impression of Pharisees? Probably not too many. For most Bible readers, the Pharisees stand out, memorably as the best known opposition to Jesus and his followers. However, this Sunday’s Gospel reading for the…