February 2, 2025
What follows is an editorial from the National Catholic Reporter. Although it directly addresses the remarks at the National Prayer Service last week, it touches on topics that should make all of us uncomfortable. One reason we come to church is to hear the word of God and act upon it. We hear it in the reading of scripture, homilies, songs sung, and the presence of inspirational individuals who try their best to live their…
January 26, 2025
We’ve had feast days each weekend since Christmas but this weekend we are simply in what the Church designates as “Ordinary Time.” We’re coming off the birth of Jesus and the Gospels beginning His story of God becoming incarnate (taking on flesh)—so where do we go from there? Answer: his public life and, in John’s case, the first miracle of his public life: the wedding feast at Cana (at which Jesus changes water into wine)…
January 19, 2025
Once upon a time, there was a baby eaglet who fell from his large nest in a tree and flopped his first flight into a chicken pen. There he befriended the chickens and they welcomed him to eat with them. When the owner of the chickens saw the interloper, he also welcomed him. From that time on, the eagle grew up living with chickens. Years later, the eagle looked up at the sky and saw…
January 12, 2025
This weekend is when we celebrate he Feast of the Epiphany—a word that means a new realization or new understanding of something. In everyday English, you could say “I had an epiphany,” and then proceed to tell one or more people about some new insight you acquired. The epiphany we celebrate this weekend refers to the Wise Men coming to the realization that this baby in the manger is the King of the Universe, the…
January 5, 2025
Christmas arrives and families come from near and far to gather. Family members become Santas who distribute “presents” to one another against the backdrop of specially prepared food that makes everyone gain weight at this time of year. Churches see their pews fill with persons seldom or never seen in the congregation during the year. More often than not, “a good time is had by all” when gathering as families in their mother churches. Their…
December 29, 2024
There is an emerging movement that sees its members speak about belonging to a “Christian culture.” This “culture” can include atheists and agnostics, and all sorts of people who practice or condone behaviors that Jesus specifically forbade. People in this “Christian” culture will accept laws against stealing goods from stores, and murdering someone without good reason, and other basic concerns (like stopping for a red light). However, this same “Christian” culture is “Caucasian” and intolerant…
December 22, 2024
Instead of today’s 4-week observance, Advent USED to be a period of 40 days on our liturgical calendar. It was a counterpoint to Easter’s Lenten season. This 3rd week of Advent is called “Gaudete” (“Rejoice”) Sunday. It refers to us ALMOST being at Christmas—and so we should rejoice in realizing once again that Jesus was born. During this season, we are called to reflect on Jesus coming to us 3 times: 1) at Bethlehem, 2) in…
December 15, 2024
The opening verses of this week’s Gospel might put listeners to sleep as they spell out who the political leaders were in power when John the Baptist was born. The names and regions they ruled are strange sounding—perhaps as strange as some names that people will read about in the centuries ahead—when the world is very different from what it is today. Why did Luke bother to cite those names and places? Probably to remind…