Ashes on Ash Wednesday You never know who might be touched by your quiet witness of ashes on Ash Wednesday. Last year, I really wasn’t
“Remember, man, you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” The priest uttered these words on Ash Wednesday as he traced the black cross
“How is a man the better for it, if he gains the whole world at the expense of losing his own soul? For a man’s
During Lent, God presents us with a fundamental choice. Will we choose to continue to live in our human illusions or will we allow God
Author’s Note: This article is the second in a five-part series examining the beauty and medication of the Most Holy Rosary. This series is dedicated
In The Surprise by G.K. Chesterton, the author of a play sees his characters act justly and with love at his creative command, yet he
Every Stitch a Prayer I dreamt I saw a dark-haired woman clad in blue. She sat at a simple table in a light-filled room, working
We cannot possibly truly imagine what Jesus Christ went through during His Passion and Death. Suffering the horrible, excruciating, ignominious scourging and crucifixion, carrying the
Three kinds of Catholics From time to time, our work schedule disrupted the now weekly Tuesday morning coffee breaks Josh, my cube farm neighbor, and
The subjects we chose during telephone conversations with relatives and friends tend to change over time. If you or they have lived a relatively long
For Valentine’s Day this year, I am taking a new approach. No more chocolate, fancy dinners or jewelry. This year’s gift is the ultimate. This
The Holy Mass is the re-presentation of Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary, in a real liturgical manner. At the Last Supper (also known as the First
New York City, like any other big city, can get a bad rap if you only watch the news. The news anchor would have you
“Put Out into the Deep” In the missionary community of which I am a part, one of our charisms is receptivity. Why is that? At the
“Why did God let that happen??” We have all had the experience of pondering why something bad or disappointing happened to us. It is
There is a serious Catholic “man crisis”. Large numbers of men have left the Church and the majority of men who remain are lukewarm. The
Among the differences between Catholics and Protestants, is the use of the crucifix or cross. This was keenly brought to my attention when a faithful
One of the things I’ve noticed in my many discussions with those who are separated from the Catholic faith is the recurrence of a variety of
Many years ago I used to run a retreat and conference centre in London. As I had to run the place on a shoe string
At Mass today, I discovered the most thorough description of God I have ever heard. It was contained in the second reading, verses from a
The Power of Music Music has such a power to invoke many different kinds of feelings in all of us. It has the power to
It’s coming up on that time of year again: the time that our whole Church calendar centers upon – Lent and Easter. As Christians and
“Could we have a second round of cappuccinos please?” I asked the French waiter. Amused, he asked if we were American. I suppose we were
“People are walking tabernacles of grace.” — Father Christopher Seiler For monk and author Thomas Merton, a famous revelation hit him at the corner of Fourth
