When asked what is the greatest commandment Jesus replied that it is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind (Mt: 22) and that the second greatest is to love our neighbor as our self. Many of us who call ourselves Christians too…
Category: Advancing the Kingdom
The challenge of liberty
The coincidence of the recently released Papal Encyclical Laudato Si and the Supreme Court’s decision on same sex marriage prompts this reflection on the challenge of liberty. The Court’s decision is indicative of our society’s tolerance for the disregard of natural law and the abandonment…
Do as I say, not as I do?
On Tuesday, May 12, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, met with several dozen lay Catholic men and women in Washington, D.C., to hear their thoughts on the situation of “the family” in the United States and on how the…
Boiling Frogs
In his book “My Battle Against Hitler” (translated by John Henry Crosby and his father), Dietrich Von Hildebrand writes about habit being a ‘sort of beneficial adaptability’ in human beings that can either make their lives more bearable or diminish their spiritual alertness. In the…
Crying "Uncle"
My first car was a Volkswagen Squareback. Marcus, my good friend (he still is), and I named her ‘Leo’ after a girl who brought a lot of pizzazz into our lives (she still does). Leo – the one with four doors and stick shift –…
Pivotal Factor
“In the end, it’s the beginning that counts.” These are the words that conclude the “Reflections from the Principal” in this year’s annual report of Sisters Academy of Baltimore. Sister Debbie Liesen’s comment captures and confirms the compelling truth that so brightly shines in this…
Being human: risk or promise?
“What do you expect? He’s human!” Isn’t it curious how more often than not we associate ‘being human’ with moral lapses or flawed character? Our human nature, one might conclude, places us at risk because it becomes an excuse for our failures and imperfections. Theologically,…
Development is ministry
I recently was informed that this column is now sent to more than 7,000 recipients. It is a fair guess that more than a few are development directors in the business of raising funds for worthy causes and important institutions and that some others are…
The Sacred Family
Recently, the Nazareth Initiatives Fund has been opened at the National Catholic Community Foundation to support the apostolate of the Pontifical Council for the Family. The charismatic president of this council is Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and as the attached write-up demonstrates his global efforts are…
Be Not Afraid! Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
The following homily was delivered by Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, on December 21st, 2014. God’s Holy Word, which we just heard, and the sermon that follows, are supposed to be good news. Some days that’s tough to give, this…