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At Bethlehem’s manger, Jesus Christ came to earth in the flesh. St. John affirmed: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” St. Paul testified that Jesus was “a man like us …
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4/9/20
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When ventilators are in short supply, several key ethical principles can assist clinicians:
1) Ventilators should not be rationed based on …
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4/9/20
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The Jewish nation cited movingly by Isaiah in this coming Sunday’s Old Testament reading is lost in self-pity. Tormented by their stronger neighbors – Assyria, Babylon, Egypt – they …
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4/2/20
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If there’s one thing the coronavirus pandemic has reminded us is that as members of the human family, we are all connected.
The virus started apparently with one person in faraway China who …
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3/26/20
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Scripture scholars often discern seven signs in the first half of the Gospel according to St. John. Chapters 2 through 11 feature seven misfortunes — some just a matter of inconvenience, …
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3/26/20
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A few years back, I was travelling to a bishops meeting, dressed in clerical attire, seated next to a very nice young lady who engaged me in conversation. (Usually I avoid talking to people on …
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3/19/20
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The disciples, as many people still do today, thought that misfortune was a punishment sent from God for sins committed. “What did I do to deserve this?” is still a question asked of the …
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3/19/20
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I have great love for St. Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table I have an image of St. Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church. Yes! We …
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3/12/20
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A Bible passage that is most challenging to Scripture scholars is the episode of Jesus encountering the Syrophoenician woman who begs a cure for her daughter (Mk 7:24-30). By any standards, the …
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3/12/20
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In a recent essay in the Wall Street Journal, Kimberly Cutter chronicled the death of her father by suicide. As he struggled with rapidly progressing prostate cancer, he lost more than 30 pounds, …
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3/12/20
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It was the headline I never expected to see: “Beware of Falling Iguanas.” And yet that was the local, even national, news story that appeared while I was on a brief vacation in Florida at …
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3/5/20
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The Apostles Peter, James and John were singled out by Jesus Christ at least three times to witness major Biblical events that would both challenge and strengthen their understanding, their …
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3/5/20
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Very early in the Judaeo-Christian tradition the number 40 begins to take on a significance that will broaden and deepen as God continues to reveal his plans for mankind through celebrated Biblical …
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2/27/20
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There’s a parable about a man and his young son who set out from their tiny village to go into town to buy provisions. When they started their journey, accompanied by their little donkey, the …
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2/25/20
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Recently I came across a survey sponsored by psychologists from Cornell University that reported on the biggest regrets that people have in life. The survey said, “It’s not the things you …
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2/20/20
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Although St. Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” and St. Luke’s “Sermon on the Level Stretch” closely parallel one another, St. Matthew’s account stretches to …
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2/20/20
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In 1982, sociologists James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling introduced the “broken window theory” in “The Atlantic Monthly” magazine, suggesting that when small acts of …
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2/20/20
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After a ceremony in one of our parishes, I went to the social hall to meet people, moving table to table to do so. Some of the folks very respectfully stood up to greet me, a gesture sincerely …
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2/13/20
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In the United States, when one refers to “the Duke,” the allusion suggests John Wayne, the great cinematic hero of the last century. In the United Kingdom, when one mentions “the …
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2/13/20
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When Mother Teresa visited New Bedford, Massachusetts, in June 1995, she told those of us gathered at St. Lawrence Martyr Church: “Abortion is the greatest evil of today.” Never one to …
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2/13/20
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