Jesus asks: Will my death mean anything in two millennia? Will it give home to those who must flee their country because bombs are falling on their homes?” Will it give courage to youth who see adults not able to sustain commitments...
St. Patrick’s Day celebrates all things Irish. It is the day, when those of us who are Irish by culture and heritage are chuffed full of a pride that overflows into vibrant celebration. It is also a day when those...
We know very little about St. Scholastica, whose memorial we celebrate today, on February 10. And what we do know is a mix of history and legend. In that regard, she is in good company. I can imagine many of the...
Today, we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord. Imagine that Jesus’ parents are bringing him to the Temple to offer their child, their special child, to God. It was a Jewish ritual and it was important for them to do....
It is a huge understatement to say that we are living in challenging times. Pandemics and variants, wars and environmental disasters, political strife and unrest dominate our news and media. All this together, combined with our personal struggles, losses, needs,...
If you think you’ve had it rough this year, what with covid-19 morphing into the Omicron variant and new restrictions on our freedom looming, you have our sympathy. We have all had a tough year and we need a break. Christmas...
Wars not only destroy human lives; they destroy homes and heritages, they ravage fields, trees, lakes, and soil. But the life that God bequeathed to all creation is stronger than death. And so it was that, the chalky, bomb-pummeled, soil...
Winston Churchill referred to it as his “black dog.” American writer and educator Parker Palmer speaks of, “the snake pit of the soul.” Whatever we call it, depression is a hard thing – and incredibly common, though often not spoken...
On this Commemoration of All Souls, I am reminded of the chant Dies Irae, a liturgical meditation on the Last Judgment. From at least the mid-14th century it was sung as a Sequence on this day and in Funeral Masses....
Last week, a relatively young friend of mine died after a long battle with cancer. As his close friends, my wife, Christine and I were asked to offer words of reflection at his memorial service. As Christine spoke of her...