Category: Advancing the Kingdom

What fecund ambiguity!   Clearly, the phrase ‘path of totality’ was used unambiguously earlier this week as the media covered the trajectory of the moon’s shadow over a large swath of our nation and millions of viewers witnessed the total blackout of the sun. But an…

We met in sixth grade.  I was a new kid in the school and felt very much out of place. Maybe it was his gentle manner, or that he was the oldest in the class. Whatever the reason, in his quiet and unobtrusive way Kyle…

Two passages in the New Testament – one at the beginning and the other at the end of Jesus’ public ministry – illustrate a foundational tenet in Catholic philanthropy. The first is Jesus’ proclamation soon after his baptism by John: “The time is fulfilled, and…

Recently I participated in the burial service of a family member. It was a peaceful ceremony led by a priest and attended by numerous family members and friends. The urn containing the deceased’s ashes was handled respectfully as it was eventually lowered into the grave…

“In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking, but now, God knows, anything goes. Good authors, too, who once knew better words now only use four-letter word writing prose. Anything goes. The world has gone mad today, and good’s bad…

When most of us hear the adjective ‘chronic’ we expect what follows will be some form of illness such as diabetes or arthritis.   What are we to think, then, of the phrase ‘chronic vigor’?  In his magisterial treatise, An Essay on the Development of…

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a…

“Lux fiat”. According to Genesis this was God’s command on the first day of creation when he said: “Let there be light”.  He saw that it was good. But it wasn’t until the fourth day that God created the sun. Hence, we have the mystery…

Earlier this month I attended a Christmas concert at a local high school. The surprisingly accomplished performance ended with Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.  At the opening chords, a smattering of the attendees in the audience rose and remained standing while the rest stayed seated. (Most of…

As Advent progresses it is clear from casual observation the regard we as a nation once held for Christmas is no longer generally shared. Years ago, even among non-believers for whom the Nativity was only embellished legend, there was at least a respect for its…