Maryknoll priest reflects on humanity’s quest for something bigger, more powerful than ourselves || At noon every day, an office worker in New York City drops into the cool silence of Holy Cross Church on 42nd Street for Mass. Nine thousand miles away, Asmat fishermen offer prayers and fruits to the sea for a bountiful...
Priest reflects on how living saints inspire us to be saints and angels for one another || The letter to the Hebrews (13:2) admonishes us to “show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels unawares.” Certainly if we regarded others as angels in disguise, our world would...
Priest reflects on how God was forming him for a life of missionary discipleship || I first experienced being an outsider when I was in kindergarten in Amsterdam, N.Y. A classmate was a descendant of the Mayflower pilgrims and loved to remind us Italian-American kids that she considered us foreign intruders....
Priest reflects on Jesus visiting the home of his good friends, Mary and Martha, in Bethany || Picture it: Cairo, Egypt, during Ramadan 1986. I was on assignment for MARYKNOLL magazine. A Muslim family hosted us for a few days. Despite having to fast during the daylight hours of their holy month, Ramadan,...
Priest reflects on how to see the Holy Spirit at work || Faced with life-changing decisions, as people of faith we’re supposed to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. But how can we know for sure the ideas that pop into our heads are from God? Obviously, when the choice is between good and bad, […]
Even when we feel far from God, God never leaves us || When inviting people to come to church, I sometimes hear: “I can’t go to church; I’m too big a sinner.” This is like saying, “I can’t go to the hospital; I’m too sick.” It’s not that people don’t want forgiveness as much as […]
God is with us in our dangers, dilemmas and crises || Unrelenting wave upon wave of sex scandals, incompetence and cover-ups are crashing over the boat that is fast taking on water. It appears the Barque of Peter may be sinking. Through it all, Jesus seems fast sleep—oblivious to our peril. We pray....
Christmas calls us to celebrate God at work in everyday events of human life || A young woman, Mary, engaged to marry, becomes pregnant. Surprised, confused and disappointed, her fiancé Joseph considers breaking off their engagement rather than expose her to public humiliation and perhaps even execution...
Sorrowing Catholics have two models to inspire them: Jesus suffering on the cross and Mary standing at the foot of the cross || As a priest, let alone Christian, what could I say to a widowed mother who just lost her only son unexpectedly and tragically? As I waited in line with mourners inching towards...
Holy people like Mother Teresa continued serving despite their doubts || A distraught mother cornered me after Mass. “Tell my son to come to church!” she said and added, “He says he no longer believes in God.” When I inquired about his age and learned he was 19, I said, “Yup. He’s right on schedule.”...
