Category: Advancing the Kingdom

Today I lunched with a good friend whose disquisitions on matters ecclesiological are always illuminating. As usual, I emerged from this delightful reunion edified by the possession of new insight. In a religious context, the word ‘faithful’ has different connotations. For some it is a…

Have you ever entered a Catholic church and, upon discovering an extinguished vigil lamp, immediately felt immersed in emptiness? The usually beckoning flame was not there to reassure and promote your awareness of the presence of the Divine. This is what vigil lamps do. People…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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 –…

“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…

“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,…

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…