The bishop of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, many years ago, was a great preacher and evangelizer. He tried to reach out to unbelievers, scoffers, and cynics. He liked to tell the story about a young man who would stand outside the cathedral and...
Carolyn Humphreys, O.C.D.S.
Jennifer Borek
Deacon Gregory WebsterRecent Essays
Fr Dino Vanin
Deacon Steve Greco
Fr Joseph Esper
Reflections- From Our Archives
Are We Up to the Challenge?
A U.S. Army chaplain was stationed in Europe, and one Sunday he said Mass for a group of American servicemen and women in a large cathedral; the them of his homily was: “Be proud of your Catholic faith, and don’t be...
Tom BorekWhere is Your Jesus?
When China was taken over the by Communists in 1949, some Catholic religious sisters were imprisoned for their faith. Their guards ordered them not to pray, and to mock them, they often asked, “Now where is your Jesus...
William Borst
Michael Baglino
Vincent Ryan RuggieroAll Essays
Perfecting the Mundane
I sometimes joke that I ran screaming from my parents’ house at 17. I’m joking, but only just. So, it has been a happy surprise that my children have continued to want to be close to Tom and me even into their 30s. A...
Presumption
My favorite rendition of the Crucifix is the one whose arms are perfectly horizontal, as to embrace the whole world. The readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time illustrate the fact that God wishes to include every...
Preparing for Future Storms and Menacing Waves
We have an existential problem. Sunday after Sunday, we risk failing to capitalize on what God’s words are meant to elicit in our minds and hearts. Too often, we forget that the Lord is present in our midst with all his...
Brotherly Love in the Time of Social Media
I sometimes wonder what my paternal grandmother would have thought about social media. She was a highly sociable woman with many friends. She and my grandfather were “joiners”. They liked being an active part of their...
James S. Anderson
Br Matthew Marie, OSB
A Major Cause of America’s Disharmony
Recently, while on a cruise, I had a very revealing conversation with a gentleman at my dining room table. It began by his asking about my background. I told him it was unusual: social case worker, time study engineer...
Every Day We Are Given Opportunities to Make a Difference
Temple University in Philadelphia is the third largest university in Pennsylvania; it enjoys a worldwide reputation for research, scholarship, and education, and has international campuses in Tokyo and...
Things Aren’t Always as They Seem
A woman named Sarina was leaving her hotel when suddenly her left arm no longer worked; she dropped her purse, her arm went numb, and she was convinced she was having a stroke, or apoplexy. A stranger helped...
Desert Flowers
A desert has an atmosphere of impending death. This can be seen most vividly in the arid terrain below sea level known as Death Valley in California. The valley is located largely in Inyo County. In 1849 thirty pioneers...
Paul Suski
