We have now come through the long lonely days of Lent to celebrate new life in Easter. So now what? Lent is the spiritual boot camp where we are training our souls towards greater holiness. We concentrate on the sacrificial…
On the Necessity of the Resurection
Easter
The serpent’s bite was a deadly one. The venom had worked its way deep into the heart of the entire human race, doing its gruesome work. The anti-venom was unavailable until He appeared. One drop was all that was needed,…
Catholic Fatherhood
And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising….
A Good Friday Reflection
With a loud cry Jesus died. Mark 15: 37 Apart from all else that could be said about his passion, what strikes me today is that Jesus cried out. I find it reassuring that—even though he rose to new life…
Foot Washing on Holy Thursday
Pedicure. That was my first thought when Fr. Mike asked our family to participate in that year’s Holy Thursday Liturgy. He was calling to invite us to have our feet washed, citing our service to the church that year, as…
“Father forgive them…” (Luke 23:24)
These three words, uttered by the Lord as he hung in agony on the cross, present one of the most challenging aspects of being a Christian. It is difficult for us to forgive – it is not natural and our…
The Shock of Stations of the Cross
The devotional prayer practice of Stations of the Cross (or the Way of the Cross) is ubiquitous during Lent in Catholic parishes around the U.S. Stations of the Cross emerged as a way of doing a “Jerusalem” pilgrimage for those…
Passion Sunday
Sunday Readings for March 20, Palm Sunday Catholics seem preoccupied with the sufferings of Christ–The Crucifix, the sorrowful Mysteries, the Stations of the Cross. As if all this were not enough, Catholics must stand at attention one Sunday each year…
Unlock the Key to Joy
Confession: the word does not bring forth cozy, comfortable feelings but instead elicits visions of dread and fear for many. We are afflicted with shame and regret, not wanting to see a priest. Because of this, some of us often…
Dream Keepers
So the tug of war seems never ending. God, love, sin, relationship, belonging, companionship! Is there a human “out there” who just doesn’t want to fit in, belong to something/someone, be loved and know that they are valued just as…