You may have encountered a few first-time parents who say something like this: “I was an expert on parenting until I became a parent.” People find some experiences easier to understand in theory rather than in practice. These assumptions make it hard to love others. Life “in Theory” It is a human temptation to think we understand various life situations from the outside. It is a human flaw if we do not learn over time that experiencing something personally differs... Read more
I encourage you to read “What I Wish More People Knew About American Evangelicalism,” by John Fea in the February 7, 2024 issue of The Atlantic. Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family made a positive difference in John Fea’s upbringing. Fea also urges those who are concerned about aspects of Evangelicalism to see the good that he finds there. Challenges to Seeing the Good The reports that Catholic bishops covered up priests’ abuse of children and shuffled them... Read more
I would like to think that when I am up on the altar as a lector, I am focusing on Jesus. Instead, all sorts of thoughts, some procedural and others anxious, come to mind. Other times, my altar view is distracting. Lectoring A lector reads Scripture passages from a lectionary. I have served as a lector for many years; I do not know how many. I usually read the second reading and my husband reads the first. In our parish,... Read more
People passed the content of the Old Testament down by word of mouth for many years. The process of sharing stories verbally is called Oral Tradition. Oral Tradition Have you ever played the game “telephone,” or observed people doing so? One person thinks up a statement, whispers it to the next person, who whispers it to the next person until everyone in the group has heard it. While at times, the last person knows what the first person said, the... Read more
Part II: Translations The Bible cannot be read literally because what I buy today is a translation from centuries ago. Even when reading English as a native speaker, it is not always possible to determine what the author means or intends. We ask these types of questions. Is the writing a translation from another language? Has the writing been updated from an earlier version of English? Did someone who speaks English elsewhere in the world add references that Americans might... Read more
Part I: Religious Truth I believe that God inspired biblical writers. Writing, translating, and interpreting the Bible has also involved human beings. I believe there is religious truth in the Bible, but it is not found by reading it word-for-word as from God’s mouth. The Bible as a Book of Books The word “Bible” does come from the word for “book,” or more specifically, the area on papyrus used for writing. Unlike a book with chapters, the Bible does not... Read more
I struggled years ago to explain to my daughter that Santa is not real and is real at the same time. I believe in the “Santa spirit” we encounter around Christmas. Santa is Not Real I do not profess that there is a man dressed in red who delivers presents worldwide on Christmas Eve. I certainly do not believe in the very lengthy “naughty or nice” list portrayed in “The Santa Clause.” The North Pole, elves, descending via the chimney,... Read more
My favorite movie of all time is also a Christmas movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring James Stewert and Donna Reed. Though the movie came out in 1946, it is amazing how much psychological insight it has for us today. (If you have not seen the movie, I recommend it for 2023. This article has a spoiler alert! Though I want to spend more time on its relevance for today, you may want to stop and watch the film yourself... Read more
Depending on size, Catholic churches offer multiple opportunities for people to attend Christmas Masses. What is the difference between them? Catholics Have an Unusual Schedule This Year In 2023 and in other years when Christmas is on a Monday, Christmas Eve is the same day as the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Day itself is the following day. If a family usually prefers to attend Mass on Christmas Eve, they may attend Mass twice on Sunday. If people think... Read more
Now that I am older, Jesus’ birth is central to my celebration of Advent and Christmas followed by the celebration of family. I have continued the tradition of making Christmas cookies cut out in different shapes with very sugary frosting. Advent My father was a believer in keeping Advent separate from Christmas. While other people were putting up their trees in early December or listening to Christmas music, my dad waited. He brought out the Christmas music during the feast’s... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In