Pleased as Man with Men to Dwell, Jesus, Our Emmanuel
Whatever it is our hearts ache for—whether it be love, peace, truth, or meaning—all of it can be found in the person of Jesus.
Raise Your Little Hand, O Holy Child
If we take the time to understand the implications of this, maybe it can help us see others in a different light. Who did Jesus come for over two thousand years ago
Humility to Serve
For Sunday, October 23, 2016, 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Several days ago I had the privilege of presenting a series of workshops for the diocesan congress of the Diocese of Fresno. This annual event brings together clergy and religious, professional and volunteer ministers, and young adults from around that diocese for a time of […]
Praying for Justice
For Sunday, October 16, 2016, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time “Taxation without representation”—a battle cry for justice before the Revolutionary War! But it isn’t the late 1700s! Why would that be a bumper sticker in 2016? The answer depends not on the date, but the place. We were driving in Washington, DC. After seeing that […]
No Low-Cost Christianity
For Sunday, September 4, 2016, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time As we look back at the story of our faith, we recognize graced moments in which women, men, and even children, have made decisions about the course or orientation of their lives that have changed history itself. Like that “shot heard ’round the world” of […]
Humble Words
For Sunday, August 28, 2016, 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time There was thunder and lightning. It was quite a light show that God put on last night! But this morning at 6:00 am the world is quiet again. The eastern sky is washed in a pinkish peach with receding dark clouds reminding the world of the […]
All through Love and Nothing through Fear
For Sunday, August 21, 2016, 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah offers us a vision of utter inclusivity and welcome: “From them I will send fugitives to the nations … and they shall proclaim my glory among the nations. They shall bring all your brothers and sisters from all the nations as an offering to the […]
Causing Discomfort for the Comfortable
For Sunday, August 14, 2016, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time The experience of the human spiritual journey cannot be summed up easily for there are as many different experiences as there are humans. No two journeys are alike. Most stories of conversion span years or decades, yet that is not to discount or discredit those […]
Faith in the Desert
For Sunday, August 7, 2016, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time The situation seemed impossible! It had started out as a morning excursion to a nearby site, The Springs, in the Judean Desert. Since we had an average temperature of over 100 degrees for the last two months, The Springs drew us with visions of “cool, clear, […]
Are You Rich?
For Sunday, July 31, 2016, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Are you rich? Most of us, if asked, would think immediately of material possessions when considering whether or not we are rich. Wealth, as it is commonly considered, is about what we own—money, cars, houses, and the like. Yet in Sunday’s narrative from the Gospel of […]
Taking Responsibility for Each Other
For Sunday, July 24, 2016, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time The turmoil of the past few weeks—another terrorist attack in France , police shootings, and the violent protests that followed—call to mind the words of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” […]
A Hospitality of Presence
For Sunday, July 17, 2016, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said, “Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don’t give your care, but give your heart as well.” Living the Gospel […]