If you are an American I suppose that you never really think of yourself as not free. That gift is the one identifiable privilege we all share in common, despite other differences. Here in the USA we can say, do…
Freedom’s Call
Stormy day at the beach?
Does a dark cloud threaten to spoil your day at the beach? What struggles and sadness are you experiencing? What victories and joys are you celebrating? Sometimes we hesitate to give our all to enjoy the high times because we…
The Fourth of July and a Revolutionary Approach to the Bible:
In the days when states were still “the colonies” and men wore powdered wigs, a new way of thinking captured the intelligentsia of the western world. “The miracle stories in the Bible and the lives of the saints may be…
Restore and Reactivate
Sunday Readings for July 3, 2016 the 14th Sunday of the Year To some, being Italian-American means overindulging in pasta and joking about tough guys. But being Italian means being heir to a rich tradition stretching back before the Caesars….
The Difference between the Old and the New
I’ve always found today’s Gospel reading difficult to understand. I felt as though Jesus was light years ahead of John’s disciples, and even his own for that matter. Then some thoughtful soul explained that, no, you really can’t fast in…
Bearing Fruit
The New Testament is filled with references to bearing fruit. Scripture tells us that good trees bear good fruit and bad trees do not, and that branches that don’t bear fruit are pruned away. Remember what happened to the fig…
We’re home to stay!
Editor’s Note: This is an updated post from the original which ran on June 22, 2016. Tom Peterson is living proof how one man’s “yes” can change the world. He could have ignored the Holy Spirit’s promptings or brushed off…
The Price of Love
Love is something perfect, it is the life of God himself. But in an imperfect world, the price of love is sometimes suffering. Some say that suffering is too high a price to pay, that life should be the avoidance…
Overcoming Careless Words
Pope Francis has not minced words when it comes to the sin of gossip, speaking about its perils on multiple occasions: In one homily he likened the act of gossip to Judas’ betrayal of the Lord, saying that when we gossip about someone…
The “Good Life” and Pre-Evangelization (Part 1 of 2)
The desire to live better, to live more deeply. To live in a way that is satisfying beyond wealth or material goods. This is a longing that has always existed, yet in our current cultural setting, is being spoken aloud…