As for me and my house, we will serve you Lord. We will not bow down to the gods of this world. In this time in history, those lines are especially pertinent. A lot of American Christians can not say them honestly. Read more
As for me and my house, we will serve you Lord. We will not bow down to the gods of this world. In this time in history, those lines are especially pertinent. A lot of American Christians can not say them honestly. Read more
I’ve called it “chemosobby,” and “mastectosobby.” Heart attacks have their own version of it, as do strokes, massive injuries, and just about any other major physical trauma. “It” is the experience of a sudden emotional downdraft that sucks you and all your thinking into the pit of something that’s closer to despair than depression. It’s the temporary blackness of reaching your personal bottom while still caught in the trap of whatever has you. I call it “the sobbies.” If... Read more
Pope Francis’ homily at mass today is well worth a listen for all of us, especially considering how divided and angry we have become. Read more
I t appears that COVID is worse in regions of Africa with the most intense persecution of Christians. My guess is that one reason why is that religious persecution usually walks in lockstep with ignorance, corruption and poor governance. Whatever the reasons, the virus seems to be making an already tragic situation every more tragic. From Global Christian Relief: According to research, data indicates a direct correlation between the countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are most vulnerable to the virus... Read more
Washington state’s Lt Governor Cyrus Habib will not seek re-election. He will be joining the Jesuits. That’s a big life change. I wish him well. From America Magazine: Cyrus Habib, the lieutenant governor of Washington, will not seek re-election and is entering the Society of Jesus this fall, the lieutenant governor and the Society of Jesus confirmed to America on March 19. “I’ve felt a calling to dedicate my life in a more direct and personal way to serving the... Read more
It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come. Jesus Christ. It had to happen. The lure of things that go bump in the night runs strong in humankind. I believe — don’t know, just believe — that we are all born with supernatural receivers that are supposed to be tuned to God, were tuned to God before the Fall, and I would guess, will be tuned to Him once again after the Second Coming.... Read more
For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. St Paul God supplies the lacks. That sentence is a foundational belief of mine. It is a lived experience of grace formed into an understanding of the reliability of God’s love and... Read more
My colleague Mary Pezzulo routinely writes posts of galvanizing courage. She is not afraid to step over the invisible line of what women may say, what we may talk about, without being accused of being failed Christians. One of the things that women are tacitly pushed to overlook is attacks on the dignity and humanity of women themselves. We’re not supposed to talk about sexual assault and rape, and if we do, we’ll be labeled “feminist” as if feminist was... Read more
Tomorrow is the day we remember that the Lord of all Life gave up His life that we might live. He paid our debt to eternity with His own blood and humiliation, by suffering an ignoble and scandalous death and consenting to suffer and die while wholly human, wholly alone and separated from God for our sins. He felt it all, knew it all, endured it all. For us. There is no humiliation we have known that He did not... Read more
It’s Holy Thursday. Jesus gave us the priesthood and the Eucharist. He took three of his friends and went to the garden to pray. He asked God for a way out. He begged for a way out. Jesus was facing what He had known since the beginning was His fate. For this reason I was born He told Pilate, to testify to the truth. Woman what does that have to do with me? He told his mother at the wedding... Read more