Take a hard look at the parable of the rich young man
The parable of the rich young man (Mk. 10, 17) tends to make those who have wealth a bit uneasy. In it, Jesus tells the rich young man to sell all of his possessions, give the proceeds to the poor and follow him. At this the young man, who was by all other acco...Read full story »
Thursday, January 19, 2017
A look into how God rebuilds us
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I write this while on my annual Jesuit retreat. I entered into this year’s retreat spiritually dissipated. I found myself in need of God’s consolation, but it was difficult to pinpoint the areas of my need. Thursday n...Read full story »
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Let's focus on the positive … especially now
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I wish you all well as we enter into this season of thanksgiving and celebration of God coming to dwell among us. We all too often focus on what is wrong with our world, and yet we are reminded in each season of what is very right with the world. With eve...Read full story »
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
We cannot turn a blind eye to evil
Father Gabriele Amorth (1925-2016) passed away in September. Father Gabriele was an Italian priest and exorcist for the Diocese of Rome. It is reported that in his lifetime, Father Gabriele performed 160,000 exorcisms. So, if he had started this ministry at the age of one, he woul...Read full story »
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Parable of the Prodigal Son offers many lessons
Today at Mass (as I write this) we heard again about the Prodigal Son. It is a wonderful story with many lessons, and I will try to point out a few for reflection. There are three primary players – the father, the prodigal son and his brother. If we play the part of t...Read full story »
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Let us embrace holy fear and holy delight
In Psalm 112 we read, “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commands….” This one line from Sacred Scripture can give us much guidance as we make our way through life. There are two distinct tracks to review here – holy fear and holy delight. &#...Read full story »
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Are we vulnerable in our security?
“These are times that try men’s souls.” I hope these words are familiar to you as we move closer to the 4th of July. They were written in 1776 by Thomas Paine (in “The American Crisis”) as this fledgling country struggled to stand up against the British for...Read full story »
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Christian persecution continues all around us
Ignatius of Antioch is one of my favorite Christian heroes. He was a disciple of John and fought tirelessly to strengthen the flock in the midst of persecution. He was martyred in 107 by being thrown to wild animals. It was the emporer Trajan who ordered his execution. I led with...Read full story »
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Holding on to our Faith is as critical as ever
There are times when a mere phrase or sentence from Scripture will jump out at me and allow for some fruitful examination. In the Gospel on March 16, one such sentence did so. It is from the Gospel of John (8:41-42) … “[So] they said to him, ‘We are not illegitimate. W...Read full story »
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Tips for 'keeping just the right grip'
As I march through the days, I will often try to find meaningful lessons in the little things of life. A few weeks ago, I was trimming the thorn bushes around my house (one of my favorite jobs) and a lesson quickly impressed itself upon me. ...Read full story »
Thursday, March 17, 2016
