In the Gospel of Matthew, there is a scene where the Pharisees and Sadducees, in their desire to test Jesus, ask him to show them a sign. In reply to them, Jesus says that in the morning when the sky is red and threatening you say that today it will be stormy. “You know how Read more
Last year I was knocked to the ground and pinned down by an assailant who held his hand over my mouth. I cried out, “I can’t breathe!” About 30 long seconds later he finally let me go. As I reflect on the heartbreaking deadly scene of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into George Read more
Quite some years ago, I was working as director of Christian formation at a Catholic high school, I remember that on Ash Wednesday while assisting in signing students with blessed ashes. Instead of saying “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel,” to one of the students I heard myself starting to say, Read more
It’s that special time of the year again for New Zealand kids as they start heading back to school. And for those who have discovered the fun of learning, school is an adventure! But for millions of working children worldwide, the adventures of a new school year remain but a dream. Sadly, these children will Read more
You are called by God to be a saint! And that all important calling from the Lord is not just to be seriously considered on All Saints Day – but every day! It is no coincidence that the Catholic Church proclaims the Gospel passage of the Beatitudes on the Solemnity of All Saints. For in Read more
It’s good, it’s wise and it sounds so nice: “Season of Creation” – a time for us to stop taking the wonderful God-given gift of creation for granted. A time to wake up and smell the flowers! The Season of Creation is an annual month long ecumenical celebration of prayer and action to protect creation. Read more
“The signs of meanness we see around us heighten our fear of ‘the other,’ the unknown, the marginalized, the foreigner,” and thus many migrants seeking a better life end up as recipients of this meanness, said Pope Francis in his recently released 2019 World Day of Migrants and Refugees message. The Holy Father warned that Read more
“The persecution of Christians is today worse than at any time in history,” says Aid to the Church in Need – a papal charity – in its report on oppressed Christians titled “Persecuted and Forgotten?”. The Easter Sunday coordinated bombings targeting Christians in Sri Lanka, which killed at least 290 people and wounded approximately 500 Read more
Imagine you’re sitting in front of your doctor, and he says that your health definitely needs to improve. He then looks you square in the eyes and says, “If you wish to live a healthy long life, you must stop eating junk food and living a sedentary lifestyle, and start eating plenty of healthy foods Read more
Many years ago as a young man born and raised in Baltimore, I spent a very different week getting a taste of life in Appalachia. The opportunity to travel from the hustle of big city life to the quiet beautiful mountainous area of eastern Kentucky – to deepen my Catholic faith, experience Christian community with Read more