Thinking about the Rule of Benedict and the Baptism of the Lord. The Prologue of the Rule of Benedict contains some of the most lryical, lush and arresting prose ever written. These words from the 5th century summon, urge and admonish with utmost delicacy. L I S T E N carefully, my child,to your master’s […]
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Christmas Wake-Up Call: Stoning, Massacre and a Trump PS on Becket Wake-up call? Why do we need a Christmas wake-up call? Consider that for much of the world, Christmas starts right after Thanksgiving. Christmas music plays everywhere, shopping ads begin and the Christmas trees go up. Weeks later, when Christmas Day finally dawns, the excitement’s
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How shall I know this? The elderly priest Zachariah listens to an extraordinary, thrilling, joyous message from an angel of God. But when the angel finishes his magnificent prophetic message, instead of rejoicing at the news, the priest asks, “How shall I know this?” The angel’s unhappy with the priest’s disbelief and renders Zachariah mute
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What would it look like if we treated everyone with authority and humility? Monday’s 6am Mass at Saint Matthew’s was celebrated by Fr. Paul who issues a challenge at the end of his early Monday morning Masses. Monday’s was, “What would it look like if we treated everyone with power and humility?” Everyone: the HEB
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It’s advent: don’t waste these precious days! Quietly competing with the banal and boring commercialism of Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays extended sales is another invitation. But it cannot be heard outside in the streets or while listening to CNN. Instead we must silent all the shouts of the marketplace to listen to another voice…more
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Happy Thanksgiving: A Republic if you can keep it. Something happened 402 years ago-some type of meal took place between the English settlers and the Massasoit and others of the Wampanoag settlement of native Americans. The details of that shared meal in what would become Plymouth Massachusetts are fodder for contention by pundits. That fact has
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Joseph Ratzinger and the Divine Project “And in this He [Christ] showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazel nut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, “What may this
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Thinking about holiness: its simplicity Wednesday was All Saints Day and Thursday, All Souls Day. Each November 1st and 2nd, we celebrate our friends in Heaven and pray for those who wait in Purgatory as we begin this month of the dead. Depressing? Morbid? Yeah, both if we ignore the reality–our bodies will die. But
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Tiny acts of heroism It didn’t take me very long to understand as a brand new Christian the tiny acts of heroism we Christians are required to commit each day-each minute. If we’re serious, that is. They are, in their own way, much tougher than one glorious and final act of martyrdom and complete abandonment.
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The universal search for meaning: belonging We’re created to belong—to someone, something. Whether it’s a person or a cause, belonging drives the universal search for meaning. Those Hamas terrorists? The Israeli fighters? The Ukrainian people and Russians? The Mexican cartels? The gangs in LA, New York, Chicago? In a sense, they’re all soldiers. Each is
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