First Teachers

As a parent who is also a practicing Catholic, hoping to raise his child to be faithful, there were, perhaps, no more daunting words that those the priest prayed at… Read More

Like the Early Followers, Tell the Jesus Story

In the midst of my doctoral studies, I took a course, “The Christian Tradition.” The early martyrs, whom we hear about in the daily readings after Easter,  intrigued me. In… Read More

Beauty and Liturgy: A Program for the New Evangelization

For many Catholics worshipping on a regular basis, the experience of liturgical beauty is noticeably absent from their lives. Churches, rather than eliciting awe and wonder from the worshipper, are… Read More

Reflections on the Prodigal Son

At Mass on Sunday, most people heard the story of the Prodigal Son – the little brat who says, “Hey, Dad, can we pretend you’re dead so I can have… Read More

A New Year Thought

I’m sorry…I didn’t mean it I take it back Strike it from the record What is as irreversible as murder, violates its victims more than theft, is as deadly as… Read More

Tending the Garden

Antonio Machado was a Spanish poet who lived from 1875 to 1939. I discovered his work when a friend of mine – a retired bishop who taught me at Notre… Read More

Hope

I have St. Paul on the brain these days. Especially the fifth line of the fifth chapter of Romans. “Hope does not disappoint.” I do not know why I started… Read More

Amid Chaos, Hope

An anniversary passes this week that will likely be lost in the news of hurricanes and presidential tweets. With the start of school, open houses, meetings with teachers, and homework, today… Read More

I Get Thomas

I get Thomas. I get why he needed to see the wounds. Like you, I struggle. I doubt. I wonder. I’ve put all my eggs in this basket, after all,… Read More

The Ditch

I’ve been thinking about the Gospel reading of the Good Samaritan. It is one of my favorite parables and I used to love when it would come up in class when… Read More