He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (Ephesians 2:17-18) With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication […]
Lately, there has been the labeling of government officials, and Obama in particular, as socialists, and decrying government interventions as socialist per se. Now, I will not deny that Obama is probably a socialist of some sort at heart, and that he has many of the aberrant moral ideas as the socialists. However, the characterization […]
Beginning November 2, on All Souls Day, the College of Saint Mary Magdalen is now offering its students the opportunity to experience Mass in both its ordinary and extraordinary forms. On the Commemoration of All Souls, three Masses were celebrated: a Mass chanted in English according to the ordinary form at 7:00 AM, a Missa […]
When I Confess Amidst unwonted dregs of transgress Where in this fetid pool suppress Both glint and virtuous finesse You stoop, plunge, and convalesce. Fr. Thomas Flynn, LC
Who can turn away a sweet little girl, boxes of cookies in her wagon, smiling hopefully at your front door? And who can turn down the savory pleasures to be found in every box of Thin Mints and Samoas and Savannahs? Well, I can. You see, the proceeds from the sale of Girl Scout cookies […]
We testify that Jesus of Nazareth is the Incarnate Word, the very Self-expression of the Deity. This Word is the Father’s all-encompassing Articulation, the Idea in which all ideas subsist. It is in and of the Father, yet somehow distinct. In the Old Testament, this Being typically bears the name Wisdom. Wisdom is described as […]
When I taught religion in a parochial middle school, part of my weekly responsibilities included writing the Prayers of the Faithful that would be read by a middle school student in our weekly Mass. I loved this part of my job! Actually, I loved every part of my job. For the first few years—before the […]
From “We believe” to “I believe” Can a one-letter word really make a great difference? In the case of the revised translation of the Nicene Creed in the new Roman Missal, the answer is emphatically, “Yes!” Instead of starting the Creed by saying, “We believe in one God…” we will begin by saying, “I believe […]
That human beings were created to be creators, to work, is undeniable. The anthropological concept of homo faber, man the tool-maker, attests to this basic aspect of what it means to be human. From a Christian perspective, we confess that human beings make things in a way that imitates their Maker. While God creates “out […]
The Great Trees Mid-summer and the woods are dry Soil on hillsides runs to sand, Ancient trees begin to die Unless their roots are deeper than the roots of Man Dry the season and the air Draws out the running where it ran, Beasts emerging when they dare Drink from what lies deeper than the […]
If her unrealistic body proportions weren’t enough of a controversy and reason for parental and feminist outrage, now Barbie has tattoos. Hang on–before you think Tattoo Barbie is going to be your daughter’s Must Have or Die Christmas Gift, don’t. Only 7,400 dolls were made and they’ve already been swooped up by “collectors”. And by […]
Angels at Play I see beauty in a vicious storm An enraged green sea suspended above Opposing winds churn and whirl the nimbus A strange fierce loveliness to behold After the storm, something uncommon Green gives way to a gold that glows On trees and fences and yards and homes Heaven’s light breaks through for […]
Halloween came and went, but Marion Salmon Hedges wasn’t able to hand out the hundreds of dollars worth of candy she purchased for the underprivileged children who annually visit her Manhattan neighborhood. Instead, she has spent the past 10 days in a medically induced coma at New York’s Harlem Hospital Center. Mrs. Hedges was the […]
The story related in last week’s Pennsylvania grand jury report had all the ingredients of a classic sex abuse scandal: a popular, successful authority figure suspected for years of molesting boys, a host of higher-ups unwilling to report him to police and a trail of vulnerable children left to suffer unspeakable violations while powerful adults […]
Light from Light The ruby throat in air defers, Presents his forehead to larkspur, Walks as Christ on Galilee, Weightless goes as so did He Receives the pollen as a grace, A Eucharist on beak and face, Floating sign and metaphor, Convey to us: receive, adore Blood of wine, flesh of wheat, Wing of angel […]
I’ve seen it time and time again. Someone decides to seek a better paying job, or pursue an investment strategy, or launch a new business. Invariably some pious person in the parish objects that maybe this is too worldly, that it will be a distraction from Church and family priorities, that one should be satisfied […]
“Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” This is one of four forms of dismissal to be used at the conclusion of the Mass, according to the revised Roman Missal. Every moment of our lives is an opportunity to glorify God using the talents we receive in the Eucharist. “Let everything that lives […]
What do a 70-year-old widow and a 45-year-old father of five have in common? Three things: They both reside in the Archdiocese of Atlanta (the fastest growing archdiocese in the country), they are long time friends and they both had a goal of starting a Catholic radio station in their diocese. After much prayer, Mark […]
Don’t ever let anyone tell you that the Catholic Church is “anti-science” or against stem cell research. Actually, she is very much in favor of stem cell research, so long as tiny human beings are not created, used and destroyed in the process, and now she’s putting her money where her mouth is with regard […]
“It was nothing dramatic,” says Dr. Karl E. Blake of Wexford, Pennsylvania, retired surgeon and member of the World War II generation, “but it was important, and no one has written about it, at least that I’ve seen.” I got an unexpected call from Dr. Blake last Memorial Day, mid-afternoon, after just returning from the […]
I had one of those days last week. The kind that starts out with a bad hair morning and snowballs into: I have no cute clothes, I’m a lousy writer, I’m a bad mom, etc. Naturally, this “I’m-Not-Good-At-Anything” day morphed into a “She’s-Good-At-Everything” day. Yes, the green-eyed monster reared its ugly head. [Please note: in […]
Renegade politicians whipping up religious hatred are to blame for bloodshed and violence in northern Nigeria according to the local bishop who says the police have failed in their duty to protect the people. Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri said local politicians were exploiting the region’s religious divisions to “whip up” anger in a […]
The matter of grace is a real puzzle. There is obviously tension between the freedom of man and the providence of God, both of which are affirmed by the church. Right from the start, let me state that I do not think this enigma is fully solvable. Our minds are unfit to comprehend the interaction […]
Thomas Joseph Dudley, USMC died in Afghanistan during combat on July 7, 2011. He was 29 years old, married, and had three children. He was laid to rest in Rock Hill, SC on July 15, 2011 amid an outpouring of patriotism and support for his young family. During Staff Sergeant Dudley’s funeral, his young son, in […]
