Last year my brother was very sick. The family rallied around him and saw that he got the care he needed to recover. Now he is thriving. We went out of our way to care for him because that is what families do. The gospel challenges us to expand our notion of family. St. John… Read More »

One of my favorite authors, Annie Dillard, observed that if you want to see the stars you must leave you nice, warm, comfortable, well-lit room and go out into the darkness. We might add, and if you are looking for a particular star you must go into the darkness often since the stars move with… Read More »

The question of Jesus — “What are you looking for?” — has echoed down the ages. In 1986 U2 sang,  “But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” That almost forty year old song captured the reality of my generation. (Does it still resonate with the younger generation?) The song describes looking for love,… Read More »

In the “Peanuts” cartoon Linus once gave a deep sigh, “There is no heavier burden than a great potential.” While we shouldn’t feel burdened we do have a great potential, in fact the hightest potential. See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so… Read More »

One expression in the early days of the ecumenical movement was “doctrine divides, service unites.” The idea was that Christians should stop arguing about theological differences and instead feed the hungry, house the homeless, care of the sick, etc. While you can understand where that point of view comes from the saints remembered today, Basil… Read More »

St. Luke begins this particular scene: “the shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem.” Of course they did. The angel told them to. They wanted to get to the action. But that is not the whole story. They can’t stay in Bethlehem. They can’t bask in the glorifying and praising. They can’t remain in amazement. No,… Read More »

Long time Catholics will remember that in the pre-Vatican II Mass there was something called “the Last Gospel.” At the conclusion of all of the prayers and post-communion the priest would recite the prologue to St. John’s Gospel at every mass. Obviously the Church thought that this reading needed lots of attention. The prologue itself… Read More »

The octave of Christmas is celebrated as one great feast. During these eight days the first reading is taken from the first epistle of St. John. The epistle opens with St. John reminding his readers that he is talking about what he has seen, what he had heard, what he has touched. The presence of… Read More »

The Sunday between Christmas and New Year (if there is one) is celebrated as the Feast of the Holy Family. Pope Paul VI visited Nazareth in 1964 and spoke of the lessons we can learn in Nazareth. The first is the value of silence. We know virtually nothing of the life of the Holy Family… Read More »

“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.” The Holy Family became immigrants to a foreign land because of a hostile government lead by King Herod that threatened their welfare. Sounds alot like the first pilgrims to what is now the United States who came to… Read More »