field of marigolds
All Souls and All Saints
All Saints and All Souls days embraced by many Catholic cultures, But this season also holds a character of nostalgia and melancholy. The days begin to shorten and the shadows…
“The True Spirt of Liturgy in a Pandemic”
Palm Sunday Of the Lord’s PassionMT 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-7 Ps 22 Philippians 2:6-11 MT 26:14—27:66 I can almost smell the fresh cut fronds as I enter the church, the satin-smooth…
“The Sickness Unto Death”
Fifth Sunday of LentEZ 37:12-14 PS 130:1-8. ROM 8:8-11 JN 11:1-45 As we continue to hunker down in our quarantine, it is becoming increasingly difficult to focus on any task,…
“Intimacy in a Time of Social Distancing”
Fourth Sunday of Lent1SM 16:1, 6-7, 10-13 PS 23: 1-6 EPH 5:8-14 JN 9:1-41 If I were to name the single most pervasive form of suffering in the world today,…
“Betrothals, Wells, and the Samaritan Woman”
Third Sunday of LentEX 17:3-7 PS 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9 ROM 5:1-2, 5-8 JN 4:5-42 On this Third Sunday of Lent, the lectionary presents us with a familiar Gospel narrative, that…
“The Resplendent View from the Mountain Top”
Second Sunday of LentGn 12:1-4 Ps 33 2Tm 1:8-10 Mt 17:1-9 Over the weekend I had the opportunity to lead a session on confirmation with adults first, and later with…
“No one seeks God”
First Sunday of Lent GN 2:7-9; 3:1-7 PS 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17 ROM 5:12-19 MT 4:1-11 Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a season in which we take up our…
Reclaiming our Baptismal Spirituality
What is the meaning of Lent? It is very likely that the answer to this question, for most people, will have something to do with penance. While penance is a…
Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day actually make a good fit
This year we have the opportunity to celebrate Ash Wednesday on Valentine’s Day, a day in which eros or romantic love and friendship is popularly celebrated. Some people might shrink…
On busyness, work, and leisure
When someone asks me, “how are you doing?” nine out of ten times I reply, somewhat unreflectively, “busy,” or, “very busy!” I’m sure this response is not unfamiliar to most…