Tag: Baptism

Priest, Prophet, and King

Our invitation to accept the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the life of the Church begins the moment we are baptized, when we are anointed with sacred chrism on the crown of our heads. In that anointing, we are appointed priest, prophet and king. We...

Conquering the World

One of history’s cruelest and most unusual cases of imprisonment happened back in the 14th century in a duchy, or small kingdom, located in present-day Belgium, and the victim was Raynald III, the duke who ruled over the duchy.  Everyone...

Here is My Servant

After countless times reading and re-reading the Holy Scripture over nearly the five decades of my ministerial priesthood, only a few days ago, it dawned on me that, alas, we have ignored lots of God’s promises because, at the time we read them...

The Validity of Baptism

Was your baptism valid? The question is not an idle one, as Father Matthew Hood, a young priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit, will attest. After reading a statement on baptism from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (VCDF)...

Taking Up Our Crosses

Chances are you’ve not heard of the black actress Nichelle Nichols—but if you’re a Star Trek fan, you’re certainly familiar with her character. She played Lieutenant Uhara in the original TV series, and was one of the first black women regularly...

Nurturing Our Baptismal Vocation

Baptism is the sacrament that makes us adopted children of God the Father. But the relationship of life and love with Him must be nurtured every day. This is easily explained: just consider how hard it is for us to resist temptations of all kinds...

The Night Didn’t Seem Quite So Cold Anymore

Over thirty years ago an anonymous author wrote this reflection: “I was waiting for the subway train to come. It was bitter cold—near zero, with a windchill factor of 30 below zero. It was late at night, and a few of us stood inside a small shelter...

Even the Toughest Stains are Removed

OxiClean in hot water is the latest stain remover that I have been using with some success. Homemakers, however, might recommend something more efficient. The bottom line is that once we know how, even the toughest stains should come out. We all...