Cloistered nuns bear in their hearts the anxieties and sufferings of all who seek their prayerful help Who does not like receiving a gift? Some gifts continue to bring us joy long after they are received. But as nice as some of the gifts are that I have received in …
He dwells among us: A visit with Pope Francis
Giving to others an audience with Christ through works of mercy is a blessing we are all called to be In my younger days I always found the concept of the pope to be something distant. After all, the pope did not live in St. Louis or even in the …
He dwells among us: What we take for granted
St. Joseph helps us to keep Christ close to our hearts so we too can be better protectors of God’s gifts Once again we can sing the “Gloria” of the Mass and repeat those words so central to our faith—“Christ is Risen.” But I must say, it seemed as if …
He dwells among us: A miracle repeated
For 2,000 years, the Church has been blessed and guided by a successor of St. Peter The Church is now without a Pope—the See of Peter is vacant. Although he who was called Benedict XVI still is with us, we nonetheless mourn the passing of his pontificate, lifting him up …
He dwells among us: Joy and ashes
Ashes should be a distinctive sign, not only of our Catholic faith but also of our joy in Christ and his cross It always amazes me how quickly we seem to transition from the joyful celebration of the Christmas season to the penitential season of Lent. But their close proximity, …
He dwells among us: Better than expected
Faith reminds us that Christ is truly present and hope ever builds our trust in him as disciples It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it didn’t quite turn out the way I expected.” I was but a young boy at the time when my elderly neighbor, …
He dwells among us: Cartoon lessons
Advent is a time to draw closer to Him; He is our true peace, but also a sign of contradiction Gone now are the Bob Hope Christmas specials as well as other Christmas shows, including my most memorable one in 1977 when David Bowie joined in a song with none …
He dwells among us: Building according to code
Home improvement jobs are a good lesson in how to approach our vote for a ‘country improvement’ project Like many people, I have a favorite TV network I enjoy watching. Mine is the “DIY Network” featuring a number of “do it yourself” home improvement and landscaping programs. Coincidently, these popular …
He dwells among us: Doing more
We mustn’t be satisfied with our charitable efforts, but like St. Vincent de Paul, always strive to do more When I think back upon the many people who made a lasting impression upon me growing up in St. Louis, there is one in particular who stands out in his “testimony …
Pray for one another
When we pray generously for others, we truly become like Simon of Cyrene—bearers of the cross When a request for assistance is made to help someone in need, I am always amazed at how generous people can be, even strangers, with their time, resources, and monetary support. But there is …
Protecting what we celebrate
The truths, rights and freedoms our country commemorates also are a summons to protect and defend Independence Day always reminds me of the Gateway Arch on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. Louis. Since the time it was completed in 1965, when I was 8 years old, …
Close to your heart
Let there be nothing closer to your heart than Christ, Our Eucharistic Lord and Savior With the end of the Easter season, we enter into another season that the Church calls Ordinary Time, which in truth is anything but ordinary—we are, after all, fully into the baseball season! But seriously, …
