Dismas

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…

A Grave Matter?

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…

Bridges and Boundaries

Readers may recall that in the past this column has reported on the work of TOBET, the Theology of the Body Evangelization Team, headquartered in Texas (www.tobet.org). Monica Ashour, the creative and indefatigable advocate of Pope John Paul II’s teachings on the theology of the…

Fluidity

“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…

The Compassion Street Story

Readers will be inspired by this story about Father Paul Mast of the Diocese of Wilmington and the genesis of his tax-exempt foundation Compassion Street, Inc. It also provides the background for the Compassion Street Musical which will be reprised later this Spring in Wilmington.…

Chronic Vigor

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…

The Might of the Widow’s Mite

“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…

The Mysterious Inspiration of Light

“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…

Tradition: Boon or Bane

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…

Advent and Natural Law

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…