Spiritual values will guide us on our way
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Jan. 26 (Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, 17-18; Matthew 4:12-23)
It is extremely difficult to be joyful or have hope in the midst of ruin and pain. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali — part of Galilee — had been conquered by the brutal Assyrians around 733 B.C. and made into a province of their empire. The land had been devastated and the northern kingdom of Israel snuffed out. In other words, there was little cause for optimism or joy — the future looked very bleak indeed.
10 books that caught my eye in 2013
De gustibus non est disputandum. That’s a famous line from St. Augustine wherein he suggests that taste is subjective and that what one person fancies might not be to another person’s liking. Under that canopy I would like to recommend the following books to you. Among the books that I read in 2013, these 10 stayed with me in ways that the others didn’t.
Pope picks Quebec's Gerald Lacroix to become a cardinal
Pope Francis has selected Quebec archbishop Gerald Lacroix to become Canada's newest cardinal.
Pope says abortion, hunger, environmental damage threaten peace
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis said world peace requires the defense of human dignity from violations such as world hunger, human trafficking and abortion.
Pope to moms: It's OK to breast-feed in public, even in Sistine Chapel
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis assured mothers that breast-feeding their babies in public, even during a papal Mass in the Sistine Chapel, is OK.
Vatican to host world leaders in push to end Syrian conflict
VATICAN CITY - With more than 100,000 dead and millions displaced in a brutal civil war, Pope Francis has made repeated pleas for peace in Syria. But more than just call for peace he has taken steps to bring an end to the violence.
Priest says hitching ride on popemobile was invite to hit road for God
VATICAN CITY - When Father Fabian Baez booked his trip to Rome, he didn't have an appointment to meet with the pope, so he gave himself ample time in the Eternal City to be able to arrange some way to see him.
Make this a year of prayer, patience
Someone asked me recently, “After the Year of Faith, what will be the Church’s theme in 2014? How does the Pope designate a theme for the year?”
God is the gift that insists on giving
“What’s wrong with you?” the young woman asks her co-worker, Joe. She’s been trying to convey a message from their boss, but Joe seems to be on another planet.
The blindness in misguided loyalties
Anyone familiar with the life and writings of Simone Weil will, I am sure, agree that she was a woman of exceptional faith. She was also a woman with an unwavering commitment to the poor. But, and this may seem anomalous, she was also exceptional and unwavering in a certain resistance she had towards the institutional Church. During her lifetime she longed for daily Eucharist, even as she resisted baptism and membership in the Church. Why?
Jesus takes away the sin of the world
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) Jan. 19 (Isaiah 49:3, 5-6; Psalm 40; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3; John 1:29-34)
Human vision is often very shortsighted. We fail to see the big picture and fall victim to tunnel vision. It is then very easy to become caught up in our own struggles and problems or focus our energies on immediate benefits. The word of God spoken to the enigmatic Servant in Isaiah was both a shock and a challenge. In the omitted verse, the Servant protested that his life had been unfruitful and wasted in useless things. Rather than backing off or allowing him some slack, God raised the bar. The Servant had been called even before his birth so there was no “escape.” Merely restoring Israel to God was too small a task — God had far grander things in mind.