Once upon a time: Jubilee celebration has enriched our lives

A new Church year brings with it opportunities to continue growing in faith and service to our Lord I often come away from a wake service for one of our beloved dead with the question popping in my head, “what’s next?” For many folks it involves several months of settling …

Unveiling the future

November is the month we close out Ordinary Time and make way for Advent and the beginning of the new Liturgical Year. It does so, however, with a flourish. We all get excited by books and movies that try to tell us about the end of the world. November presents …

Families often are where we first learn about God

The Catholic Church has referred to the family as the “domestic church” ever since Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, was published during the Second Vatican Council. The term domestic church means that it is within our families that we first learn about God and the Catholic Church. …

He dwells among us: So much to be thankful for

Our Eucharistic Congress reminds us to be thankful for the past and hopeful for the future Even three weeks after our Eucharistic Congress, I continue to be amazed by the number of people who tell me of how their lives were touched, renewed, and even transformed the weekend of Sept. …

Living the readings: Remaining faithful to God

Persevere in faith to receive the mercy of the Lord Once again, the basic theme of the Sunday liturgies this October is plain to see. Every single reading calls us to persevere in our faith under all circumstances. To hammer home this message the Church takes all of its second …

Understanding the sacraments: What is a cathedral?

The building is ‘a symbol of the spiritual temple that is built up in souls’ How is a cathedral different from all of the other church buildings in a diocese? The most authoritative answer to this question is provided by the Ceremonial of Bishops (chapter 3), a text promulgated by …

Once upon a time: Events have ‘wonderful effect on our lives’

A 1913 expo and the Eucharistic Congress both celebrated the past while looking ahead to the future A once-in-a-lifetime experience is usually good for us. Our recent Eucharistic Congress is an example of a quite rare event that can have a wonderful effect on our lives. Such exhibitions help us …

The truth about marriage: Turn off the noise, turn on the attention

In July I attended the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers conference (NACFLM) in St. Louis. During one of the breakout sessions, the presenter mentioned that when he speaks to couples with hurting marriages, the couples’ conversation can be broken down to two basic points…the wife wants to be …

Fifteen ways to conquer pride

There is no menace to the spiritual life more dangerous, more prevalent, or more potent than pride. It is the basic source of all sin. If we can eradicate pride from our lives, we can enjoy living in the grace of God to the full. In September, we will go …

He dwells among us: Celebrating our Eucharistic Congress

An encounter with the risen Christ himself As I sit down to compose this column, I am within sight of our 25th Jubilee Anniversary as a diocese and our region’s first Eucharistic Congress. I must say, I am filled with great joy and anticipation as we approach these two important …

Living the readings: Living in an imperfect world

Gaining salvation by putting away parts of us that are earthly August is a difficult month with its heat and humidity. It’s the perfect time to meditate on how a Christian should live in a world that can be a very difficult place to evaluate, to make decisions, and to …