(Residents of the United States of America who are not already aware of the organization would be edified by the history and mission of Catholic Relief Services which began its ministry after World War II. Excerpts from the website of CRS -www.crs.org – appear here).…
Author: Dana Robinson
‘Gated Paradise’
This description appears in a real estate ad I recently read. The intention is clear and, one assumes, innocent. But, the words do provoke the question: can paradise be gated? People have different opinions about the existence of paradise, and believers have varying concepts of…
Heart of the Nation
Following in our Savior’s footsteps, good works keep His Way visible by bringing Sunday TV Mass, prayer publications, and online inspiration to Catholics who cannot get out to church. Heart of the Nation becomes a blessing for multitudes in times of illness, frailty, inclement weather,…
Gravity and Grace
Some readers may remember the chorus to the song “My Grandfather’s Clock”: ‘Ninety years without slumbering, tick tock, tick tock, his life’s seconds numbering, tick tock, tick tock, but it stopped short never to go again when the old man died’. This refrain came to…
Sacerdotal
The simultaneous appearance this year of the beginning of Hannukah and the fourth Sunday of Advent invites Christians to reflect on our Jewish roots. St. Paul’s arboreal image in Romans 11 comes to mind: the wild branch of Christianity is grafted to and nourished by…
ICMC
One of the less considered facts of the Christmas story is the plight the Holy Family suffered first as displaced persons and then as refugees. In compliance with an imperial edict Joseph and Mary, despite her advanced pregnancy, were required to undertake an arduous journey…
Diachronicity
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions” (Joel 3:1) These words are ascribed to the…
Mission Capital
Readers familiar with the shark tank approach to fund raising might be interested in learning about a novel endeavor launched by Mission Capital, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides tools and resources for Catholic evangelism and discipling ministries. As we go to press Mission Capital…
The Prospect of Caducity
“Use it or lose it”. It isn’t only the prospect of caducity that brings this adage to mind. I think of it when I reflect on my teenage grandchildren’s vanishing skill at cursive writing. Though taught it in early grades, they have no occasion to…
The Franciscan Monastery in Washington
Readers who desire to visit the Holy Land but are unable to will appreciate learning about the Franciscan Monastery of The Holy Land in America located in Washington, D.C. (myfranciscan.org). Its mission statement appears below. Those interested in knowing more about the history and culture…