We all have a desire of belonging to something. Today, as we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, we can think about this concept of belonging. Baptism is the sacrament by which we belong as members of the Church. There is an implicit awareness of this in many families who continue with the tradition of baptism, even though they may not attend church assiduously. As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus, we should ask ourselves about our own sense of belonging.... Read more
What does it mean to be a pilgrim? A pilgrimage is one of the great religious experiences, common to several religious traditions. My first conscious experience of pilgrimage came when I was going to World Youth Day in Paris in 1997. I was excited about the opportunity. My friends and I had spent two years fundraising and planning so we could make the trip. I thought, “wow, this is great that we get to visit Europe while we are still... Read more
The family is the basic building block of society. As we celebrate the Holy Family, it is good to celebrate the human reality of family. The family should be at the center of our public policy because the family creates and forms our most important asset: our children. A society that does not value its children is a society destined for destruction. Through the centuries, the Church has promoted this natural institution. Pope John Paul II Reflects on Marriage St.... Read more
St. Alphonsus Liguori tells a story of St. Francis of Assisi. The indifference he found in people caused his heart to ache. People would see him as Christmas drew near, and they would notice him crying. St. Francis was quick to defend himself. Why should I not weep when I see that love is not loved! I see a God who became human for the love of humanity and humanity that is ungrateful to this God (St. Francis of Assisi).... Read more
As we get closer to Christmas, Jesus is inviting us to recognize the reality of his becoming man to save us from our sins. Christmas reminds us of the incarnational nature of our faith. God is Spirit, but as humans at the horizon between the spiritual and the material, God also speaks to us through material reality. In spiritual life, this comes out particularly in popular piety. Popular piety refers to the devotions that are common among the Christian faithful.... Read more
What meaning does your life have? We are often unaware of how many lives we touch. It is one of the reasons I have always enjoyed the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. The main character, George Bailey, gets himself into a real financial crunch. He comes close to despair, and, near the beginning of the movie, we see him staring down from a bridge into an icy river. God intervenes in his moment of desperation by sending an angel named... Read more
Noise can keep us from hearing what is most important. The noise of the world can easily suck us in and distract us from what is truly important. In a noisy world, we need prophets like John the Baptist to wake us up and call us back to our senses. “John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk. 3:3). How do we escape the noise of the world... Read more
Recently, I heard the story of Jason Evert’s recent trip to Australia. Jason is a well-known chastity speaker. Schools often invite him so that he can share a pro-purity message to their students. His recent trip to Australia, however, was met with some fierce opposition. Resistance to a Pro-Chastity Message Some parents, especially mothers, were concerned about Jason giving antiquated messaging regarding sexuality to their young girls. They had raised them to be “strong and independent,” not to fit into... Read more
At the end of each liturgical year, the readings of the mass of Christ the King invite us to contemplate the end things, which refer to ancient prophecies and the redemptive mystery of the life of Christ. This year, Daniel’s prophecies prepare us to receive Christ as King. Dreams of the Messiah We remember Daniel primarily for his role in the lion’s den. It might be too easy to forget that Daniel was also a prophet who could see the... Read more
We can do things in a new and innovative way. In the language of the Second Vatican Council, we could call this “reading the signs of the times.” Too often, we might stay in the past and do things as in past days. However, we have an opportunity to play chess instead of checkers. When George Weigel looked for a title for his biography of Pope John Paul II, he settled on Witness to Hope. This man who had come... Read more
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