Archive for April, 2014

Truth and Art
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Truth and Art

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My college training was in radio and television arts. I love the arts, particularly with Christian themes. I came across an excellent production of J.S. Bach’s Mass in B minor (Capella Reial Catalunya, Le Concert des Nations conducted by Jordi Savall). The setting is the French Abbey Church of Saint-Savin Sur Gartempe. Superb location, the performers, […]

Reflections on Divine Mercy Sunday
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Reflections on Divine Mercy Sunday

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Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31)  The Witness of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II  Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. (Acts 2:43) “Miracles.” What does this word bring to mind for you? Spectacular healings? Multiplication of food? […]

In All the Wrong Places
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In All the Wrong Places

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A single mom had an interview for a reality TV show in the UK. The channel was interested in hiring her until they found out she was pregnant. What goes through her mind? That she “has to” have an abortion to get the job. She naively talked about her job opportunity and her decision to […]

Book Review: <em> Genius Under Construction</em>
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Book Review: Genius Under Construction

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I recently had the great privilege of reading and reviewing a.k.a. Genius, the first in a new series by Catholic writer Marilee Haynes, published by Pauline Teen. I loved the book and, even though it is aimed at middle-schoolers, found myself laughing out loud at many parts. It was a humorous, faith-based story with an […]

Earth Day 2014: Chinese Conundrum
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Earth Day 2014: Chinese Conundrum

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Several years ago, in 2007, I wrote an account of my visit to Shanghai which focused, primarily, on the city’s and China’s astounding economic boom, then achieving 11 percent growth in GDP for the third straight quarter. This torrid pace has throttled back a bit to 7.4 percent. I noted that, with the economic growth, “A lot of pollution […]

Pregnancy, Why Bother?
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Pregnancy, Why Bother?

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There are those hushed, polite conversations when people wondered why Tag Romney and his wife, who already had three children naturally, chose to have three more children via gestational surrogacy.  The celebrity surrogate pregnancy stories always raise more eyebrows.  Why did Sarah Jessica Parker, already a proven birth mother, use another woman’s body to have […]

Measuring Up
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Measuring Up

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How many times do we place unrealistic expectations on others? How many times do we place unreachable expectations on ourselves and then beat ourselves up when we fail to measure up? I dare admit publicly, I am guilty of both. The problem is I am fairly easy on myself, making excuses to minimize culpability. When […]

Before I Was Born, Jesus Knew Me
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Book Review: Before I Was Born, Jesus Knew Me

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Karin Niemeyer has penned her first children’s book.

The Great Alleluia!
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The Great Alleluia!

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A few days before Easter our clan would gather around the dining room table, cover it with newspapers, and get dirty. Or rather:  colorful. Lots of little fingers got stained purple, pink and green while dipping hard boiled eggs into cups of die. The more artistically inclined among us would draw crayon designs on their […]

Being Still With God
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Being Still With God

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 “As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back”.  Big mistake. Lot’s wife looked back and remember what happened to her? She turned to a pillar of rock salt. What did the Israelites do? They looked back as well. What do we do when we are trying to leave our former lives of sin? We look back with […]

Poem: "If Christ Rose From the Tomb"
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Poem: “If Christ Rose From the Tomb”

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If Christ Rose From the Tomb He thinks he may have known me, but I see The uniform of 1943; Dead in all but memory, alive, He stares at me, my uncle has arrived How strange it is to meet the dead and yet There is no fearful sorrow or regret, Puzzlement and slowly formed […]

Seek the Lord
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Seek the Lord

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Easter Vigil Reading 5 Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked man his thoughts; let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are […]

Stay a While With Christ and Him Crucified
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Stay a While With Christ and Him Crucified

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Hey, where are you going? It’s not Easter, yet. “Stay a while. Do not hurry by the cross on your way to Easter joy, for we know the risen Lord only through Christ and him crucified.” (Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, Death on a Friday Afternoon). Jason Hall reminds us that, “It is common, and entirely appropriate, for us to […]

The Victory of the Cross
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The Victory of the Cross

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Terrorism is nothing new.  It’s probably as old as the human race.  In fact the cradle of civilization, now Iraq, was the home of the most infamous terrorists of antiquity, the Assyrians.  Their goal was to conquer their neighbors in a way that would minimize  initial resistance and subsequent rebellion.  To do this, they knew […]

A Priest Reflects on the Chrism Mass
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A Priest Reflects on the Chrism Mass

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The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me, to bring glad tidings to the poor. —Is 61:1-2; cf Lk4:18 HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 17, AD 2014, Cathedral of Saint Mary, Diocese of Lansing, Michigan.  I, a priest of Christ Jesus by the will of God, was in attendance with many of […]

Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, The Joy of the Gospel
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Front Row With Francis: In Our Suffering, God Humbles and Exalts

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We like happy endings, don’t we? We always want the underdog to win, and sometimes, we can get carried away with it – and hope the story ends the way it should. That’s easier. There’s no lingering dissonance to resolve. Pressing the pause button on his catechesis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope […]

Three Stations of Discipleship
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Three Stations of Discipleship

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Praying the Stations of the Cross on Fridays in Lent and on Good Friday is one of the most beautiful devotions in our Catholic tradition outside of the Mass and the Sacraments.  This particular devotion helps the faithful to deeply ponder what Christ did for us that Friday.  He submitted and opened not his mouth. […]

How to Meditate on the Passion
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How to Meditate on the Passion

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The Gospel of John today tells us the last hours of Jesus’ life.  He speaks of the agony in the garden, when He was betrayed and arrested. The story is told of Jesus being brought before the high priests, questioned, mocked and insulted. He was then brought before Pilate, scourged and crowned with thorns. Finally, […]

Reflections on the Mass of the Lord's Supper
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Reflections on the Mass of the Lord’s Supper

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“Having Loved His own  …He loved them to the end” (Jn 13:1-15.) Jesus knew that it was His time to enter into His Passion and in His love for His apostles Jesus wanted to spend this memorial feast of the Passover with them. He wanted to bequeath to His apostles one last gift and proof […]

Are You Suffering? Trust God
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Are You Suffering? Trust God

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This past weekend I met four other people with multiple sclerosis. It was not by design. I met them at events that had nothing to do with MS or disability. The uncertainty of the disease is terrifying them all. Multiple sclerosis can take a benign course and cause very little disability or it can take a […]

Pope Calls Abortion an ‘Abominable Crime’ in Strongest Remarks to Date
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Pope Calls Abortion an ‘Abominable Crime’ in Strongest Remarks to Date

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Human life is “sacred and inviolable” and “every civil law is based on the recognition of the first and most fundamental right, the right to life,” Pope Francis told an Italian pro-life organization last week. The pope thanked the Movimento per la Vita, one of Italy’s leading political pro-life groups, for their work, urging them […]

Movie Review: <em>God's Not Dead</em>
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Movie Review: God’s Not Dead

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DISCLAIMER: Some Christians believe that any Christian film that is trying to do good and tell the truth should be praised and promoted, whether or not it displays excellence in filmmaking and theology/philosophy. I am not one of those Christians. You have been warned. Proceed with this knowledge. The new Christian film: God’s Not Dead […]

Where Do I Stand?
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Where Do I Stand?

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It is Holy Thursday, and during the daytime we celebrate the Chrism Mass. Tonight we will celebrate the Liturgy of the Lord’s Supper.  During this liturgy, churches around the entire globe will wait in  prayerful vigil, with lights dimmed, all images covered and the congregation adopts a tone of respectful and somber silence. The Church is remembering […]