Halloween was once a holy day to remember the dead. Over the centuries it became secularized into a holiday marked by dressing in costumes mimicking the dead and concealing our living identities. This Sunday’s mass readings are a good opportunity…
There’s a bit of deja vu in this week’s gospel reading. Jesus repeats the same question he posed in last week’s reading: “What do you want me to do for you?” The answers to his question in both cases are…
Jesus gave us many parables by which to gauge and change our behavior. His story-telling has influenced authors for centuries and explains why we can still find great truths in all forms of fiction. As we approach Halloween we’ll be…
All of us who pray are psalmists at heart. Our prayers to God tend to have all the elements of the Psalms that the faithful have prayed for millennia—including Jesus. According to a book Father Pete is using in his…
Human couplings have a long history of decoupling, dating back to the first—Adam and Eve. Their divorce was from their creator and it set off a long chain of discord that continuously amped-up the consequences of that separation among human…
By the time Pope Francis reads this Sunday’s gospel to a congregation attending his mass in Philadelphia, he will have toured the U.S. Capitol and met Americans of every belief system—all of whom hope his teachings reflect their beliefs. Some…
The problem with people is our sense of entitlement. The next time you feel deserving of a favor from God, think of the Prodigal Son story. This son, one of two, set off to escape his humdrum life. To fund…
Our favorite teachers during our formative years were the ones who found ways to surprise or even shock us. Their “teachable moments” could, at least, give one a new perspective on life. At best they could change one’s life. Teachers…
One of the most common afflictions in nursing homes is deafness. Sometimes the most severely afflicted are not in beds, but at the side of them, usually wearing lab coats and stethoscopes. They’re the healers, responsible for making the inhabitants…
Robots are getting more like humans every day—and if I were a robot I wouldn’t brag about it. An article in The Wall Street Journal this week reported that robots are being endowed with the same kind of “deep learning…