“Those who are in the ego cannot please God” I have always been uncomfortable with Paul’s reference to “the flesh” in contrast to “the Spirit,” as found in the Second Reading this week, Romans 8.8-11. Such dualistic thinking has been…
Coughing in the craw of corona I cried to you, O Lord, and you, in defiance of all demands of social distancing took me snug into your arms! Pitched into dark seething waters of viral TMI, locked out of churches,…
One can get lost in researching Catholic doctrine on Mary and the feast of the Annunciation. We only need to look to interpretations of this moment in fine art and music to appreciate its influence on our tradition and humanity. In this…
If Christ came to take away the sin of the world, then why on Earth is our planet still so bruised and broken by evil? Only one of two responses seems possible. Either Christ did not actually succeed in taking…
I have the good fortune to have two of the best-known saints as my name patrons, and they are both celebrated in March. My first name being Joseph and my second name Patrick, it’s pretty obvious that this is a…
No matter where we have come from, we can all be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. I have Irish roots myself, and was born into a family filled with Patricks and Patricias. In fact, I chose Patricia as my confirmation…
Why was the Samaritan woman drawing water at the well at noon, the hottest part of the day? This is not the time that most people would be coming for water. Most people would want to avoid the heat of…
What is the book There Must Be a Pony in Here Somewhere about?This book is a collection of reflections that we have written over the past thirty years based on our experience in parenting, teaching and ministry. They are about…
No matter which year of the three-year lectionary cycle we are in, the Gospel for the 2nd Sunday of Lent is always the same: the Transfiguration. What on earth is it doing here? Isn’t Jesus revealing his glory the opposite…
Prayer is the action that grounds us in our faith. It is a personal and communal experience that brings us closer to God. It is so much a part of us that sometimes we are unaware that it is happening.…