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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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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Vengeance: is it ever justifiable? When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,and he sent messengers ahead of him.On the way they entered a Samaritan villageto prepare for his reception there,but they would not welcome himbecause the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.When the disciples James
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Photo from Captured and Exposed Louis Pranzini and the Laborers Today, October 1st, is the feast day of The Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux, one of only thirty-six saints to be declared a Doctor of the Church. In his twenty-six year pontificate, Pope John Paul ll canonized around 482 saints–only one of whom he
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An unanticipated consequence of my new website was the loss of three years of articles. I enjoyed retrieving these older articles, especially those from the beginning of the pandemic of fear. Although I wrote this in April of 2020, I’m republishing it today. While reading this piece again, I was stunned by how quickly I’ve
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Caviezel’s Sound of Freedom wasn’t a fun way to spend the 4th of July. But since, for me, it was a ‘must see,’ John, our friend Fr. Dan and I secured tickets for opening day last Tuesday. As promised, the theatre was sold out. So we got to sit in the very first row. A
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St. Thomas and Us: A twinship Caravaggio’s magnificent painting of The Incredulity of St Thomas graphically details a story we’re very familiar with. Jesus’ appearance to the frightened apostles through the locked door to the room they hid in, occurs just days after the horror of the Crucifixion. The Lord comes to satisfy St. Thomas’s strident incredulity
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We are an Easter people Easy to say when all is light, love and happiness. But how about when it feels like all is lost?. Or when everywhere we look, we see only darkness. Not just absence of light but a soul-crushing darkness that functions like a magnet for our kids, spouse, ourselves? Isn’t it
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