At the Ascension of Jesus two men dressed in white appeared and announced to the discouraged disciples, “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” These words gave the frightened men them something to look forward to – Jesus would return. The return of Jesus Christ has fascinated generations of Christians, and as the liturgical year comes to a close, the readings at... Read more
Cuando tenía trece años viaje a Paris por una semana junto con mis papás y mi hermana. Visitamos muchos de los famosos monumentos de la ciudad incluyendo la famosa catedral gótica del siglo XII dedicada a la Virgen María, Notre Dame de París. Las torres, los vitrales, los arcos externos y el interior entero apuntaban hacia el cielo, animándonos a elevar nuestras mentes y corazones hacia nuestro Dios trascendente y eterno. Después de graduarme de la escuela regresé a esta... Read more
When I was thirteen, my parents, sister and I traveled to Paris for a week. We visited many Parisian landmarks including the remarkable twelfth century gothic cathedral dedicated to Our Lady, Notre Dame de Paris. The flying buttresses, rose windows, towers, and uplifting interior pointed to a higher place, encouraging us to lift up our minds and hearts to a transcendent and eternal God. After graduating from high school I returned to the historic cathedral and attended Mass on June... Read more
Al extremo sur de la Basílica de San Pedro en Roma hay un altar dedicado en 1963 por el Papa Juan XXIII a San José, el esposo de la Virgen María. El mosaico sobre el altar muestra la imagen tradicional del santo con Jesús cargado y un lirio blanco en su mano. Proclamado patrono de la Iglesia universal en 1870 por el Papa Pío IX, la dedicación de este altar casi un siglo más tarde asegura la presencia central de... Read more
In the southern side of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome is an altar dedicated in 1963 by Pope John XXIII to Saint Joseph, the Virgin Mary’s husband. The mosaic over the altar shows the traditional image of the saint holding Jesus and a white lily. Proclaimed patron of the universal church in 1870 by Pope Pius IX, the dedication of this altar almost a century later ensured a central presence of Saint Joseph in the Basilica. Click aqui para español... Read more
San Pablo escribió en su Carta a los Romanos, “nunca paguen a nadie mal por mal… no se venguen ustedes mismos… no sean vencidos por el mal, sino venzan con el bien el mal”. Estas palabras de San Pablo son difíciles de escuchar durante estos días mientras procesamos el horrendo evento ocurrido en Las Vegas este último 1º de octubre. Meditando sobre este pasaje bíblico, el sacerdote holandés Henri Nouwen una vez dijo que “estas palabras van directas al corazón... Read more
Saint Paul wrote to the Romans, “never pay back evil with evil… never try to get revenge… do not be mastered by evil, but master evil with good.” These words of Scripture are challenging to hear these days as we process the horrendous event which occurred in Las Vegas last October 1st. Meditating on this passage, the Dutch spiritual writer Father Henri Nouwen once stated that “these words cut to the heart of the spiritual life. They make it clear... Read more
My devotion to Saint Michael the Archangel began the summer of 2000, the same year I graduated from high school. During that summer I participated in an exchange program where I stayed with a French family in the beautiful town of Loches (near Tours). One of the weekend trips scheduled as part of the exchange program was a visit to the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel in Normandy. Located in a breath-taking setting, the monastery sits on top of a... Read more
Over two hundred vocation directors and support staff gathered in New Orleans this week for the 54th annual conference sponsored by the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD). This National organization provides support throughout the year to Vocation Offices in the United States and a few other English speaking dioceses in the world. One of the greatest benefits of this conference is its three day institute designed for new diocesan vocation directors. It also facilitates networking between the priests... Read more
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Lift Up Your Hearts, Not Your Phones
I chuckled this afternoon while reading the latest from Pope Francis: “At one point during the Mass the priest says, ‘we lift up our hearts, he does not say, we lift up our phones.'” When attending any Papal event, one quickly notices the high number of phones that are used to take pictures or videos. Is the “magic” of the moment lost in our desire to capture it forever? I believe it is. The Pope criticized those who use their phones... Read more