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.”...
Peter and Paul let discipleship outshine differences for the good of the Church || What do we do when disagreements and factions threaten to tear our faith communities apart? Certainly opposition and even persecution from the outside seem less threatening or detrimental to our Church than internal divisions....
In the shadow of the cross || During my novitiate year in Hingham, Mass., a mother from the neighborhood asked a favor of us seminarians: could we take turns helping take care of her wheelchair-bound, 23-year-old son, David, who suffered from muscular dystrophy? Our duties would be to take him out of bed every...
The Conversion of Paul || On January 25 the Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches celebrate the conversion of St. Paul, arguably the most important event in the development of Christianity after the death and resurrection of Jesus and descent of the Holy Spirit. Paul expanded the identity and mission...
Misconceptions about the Immaculate Conception || One of the more recent, sublime and, paradoxically, misunderstood doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church is that of the Immaculate Conception. Officially proclaimed as dogma in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, the belief is as old as the Gospels themselves. Before...
A Rumor of Angels || One of my early childhood memories is waking up at night and looking from my bed into our kitchen. There I clearly saw golden beings of light, wearing translucent robes and helmets. Their faces were stern but kind. They filled the room and stretched from floor to ceiling. They did […]
