To the dismay of his pacifist and non-violent parents our son Patrick has always had a fascination with toy guns, swords and anything that has to do with such. Patrick is named after a dear friend of mine who died…
When French lawyer and university professor Frédéric Ozanam organized a group of young men into an organization to help the poor of Paris, he decided to put it under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660). He couldn’t have…
How often do we give up on friends or family members who are obstinate or dismissive when it comes to our faith? This can be painful and it feels like a personal attack. St. Monica (c. 332 – 387) faced these situations…
Besides Mary, Joseph and Jesus, there is another exemplary family that played an important role in the life of Jesus. That is the family of his dear friends – Mary, Martha and Lazarus. John’s glimpse into their lives is both…
Saints Anne and Joachim were parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandparents of Jesus. Though not mentioned in the Bible, their story has been part of the Catholic tradition for millennia. They were a religiously devout couple. They were…
The feast of St. Mary Magdalene has a double meaning for me. In one sense, the person of Mary Magdalene is an enigma in many ways. There are lots of different ideas about who she was, what she experienced to…
I was fortunate enough to work for several years at a parish that was richly diverse in culture. The church was located near a major airport and demographically expressed the patterns of immigration. For many years, it has been predominantly…
On this final day of May, the month of Mary, we celebrate the feast of the Visitation. We contemplate this passage from Luke’s Gospel that comes immediately after the account of the Annunciation. In those days Mary set out and…
My deep gratitude and appreciation for that simple sentence was born during a time of quiet prayer. In a grace-filled moment, the Holy Spirit gently nudged me to consult a dictionary for the actual meaning of the word mercy. Raised…
How much do you know about St. Patrick? Did you know that he was not born in Ireland? He was born a Romano-British citizen in the 5th century and so much of what is said about Patrick is a legend.…