The word “liturgy” refers to the work of someone on behalf of the people. In our case, it refers to our collective effort to be sustained by the Source of life in all components of our being, especially our mind, heart, body and soul. This work...
On a recent Saturday night my family and I, along with 75,000 friends, went to the “Stroll on State” event in Rockford, Illinois. It was the city’s opening festivity for the Christmas season. For this event, the city shuts down its main stretch on...
The first thing I need to point out about prayer is its absolute necessity to sustain us as living and operative members of the Body of Christ. “Pray without ceasing.” (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:17) This terse order from God tells it all. We need prayer...
In 1825, a nine-year-old Italian boy named John dreamed that he was in a field with a crowd of children when suddenly a gang of boys began cursing and misbehaving (as though they were wild animals). Immediately, he jumped into their mix and tried to...
Professed religious take three vows: chastity, poverty and obedience. Guess which one is the hardest to keep? Believe it or not, it is the one of obedience. When you think of what original sin was all about, you realize that it is in our wounded...
Years ago there was a poor family—a husband, wife, and son—who lived in a simple cabin in a rural area. They didn’t have very much in the way of material things, but they had plenty of love; the parents in particular made sure to share their love...
It took a children’s cartoon to teach me the meaning of Advent. I’ve long since forgotten the title, but I vividly recall the character lost in the city at Christmastime. Lights were everywhere. The hustle and bustle of everyday life caused a...
An Advent tradition many people enjoy is listening to a performance of Handel’s Messiah—the musical masterpiece which contains the famous “Hallelujah Chorus.” The Messiah, which is approximately three hours in length, took George Frederic Handel a...
