Tom Andel

Tom Andel

Christ isn’t a Cuss

(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: ) The title “Christ” is derived from the Greek word christos, which translates as the Hebrew term meshiah (Messiah), meaning “the anointed one.” Anointed is a loaded term in itself. To…

All the Way—and Then Some

(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: ) Frank Sinatra scored a major hit with the song “All the Way” in 1957. It also received the Academy Award for Best Original Song in the movie “The Joker is…

A God without Borders—or Brackets.

(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: ) (We don’t usually repeat our posts on the Sunday Mass readings, even though the Church repeats those scripture readings in three-year cycles labeled A, B and C. We’re in Year…

Food that Never Rots

(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: ) How humans treat food is a good standard by which to compare us 21st-Century consumers to our biblical ancestors. Today’s well-fed populations tend to live to eat more than we…

Retreat Means Discovery, Not Escape

(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: ) Summer is a good time for retreats. They’re like vacations from worldly priorities, reminding us there’s only one true priority. Church retreats typically take place away from daily distractions that…

Graduate with Honors

(For the audio version of this blog, please visit: ) This year’s college commencement ceremonies received more attention than they usually do. Universities across the country were beset by protests over the latest Middle-East crisis, and graduates weren’t sure they’d…