Category Feast Day

TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD

Have you ever seen a sunrise or sunset and been mesmerized by its beauty? Or Aurora Borealis in a dark winter’s night? Those are the only experiences that I have had that could come close to what the disciples experienced with…

VISITATION OF MARY

The liturgy does not have a ceremony for every loss but it does offer a rich ritual repertoire from which we can draw inspiration and hope. From September 2021 through June 2022, I will explore with you here on this…

ASCENSION

Theologian: Explain Ascension. Earth: Ask asparagus. Theologian: What on Earth do you mean? Earth: Both in the Earth and of it, asparagus ascends             with vernal force into low-lying sky             begging working hands to come             bend, break and…

A PERFECT SAINT

Last week, a relatively young friend of mine died after a long battle with cancer. As his close friends, my wife, Christine and I were asked to offer words of reflection at his memorial service. As Christine spoke of her…

OUR LADY OF SORROWS

Today’s culture has begun to realize that recent decades of overzealous positivity have led to unsustainable expectations for happiness and success, often with dire consequences. The mantra in this burgeoning awareness of mental health is: “it’s okay not to be…

ST. CLARE OF ASSISI

In his book, St. Clare of Assisi: Light from the Cloister, Bret Thoman, OFS describes how St. Clare (1193-1253) referred to herself as the “Little plant of St. Francis.” When she was 18 years old, she heard a sermon by…