The Bible can help us plot our place in a fruitful family tree nourished by a royal bloodline. Matthew’s gospel traces that line back to Abraham, but the first line gives us the CliffsNotes version, short and sweet: Jesus Christ—the…
About now many families are preparing for Christmas by wrapping the gifts they’ll give to loved ones. The payback for all this work comes when they watch the beloved recipient remove those wrappings to reach the gift so artfully concealed.…
The noun “Grandfather” appears a few times in the Bible. The verb “to Grandfather” does not. However, if the idea of grandfathering someone did exist in biblical times, it could have appeared in this Sunday’s gospel reading (Mt 3:1-12). In…
There’s a business podcast out there called Executive Disciple, the purpose of which is to help people at all levels of the work environment “reconnect Sunday and Monday.” In other words, don’t let the lessons you learned during Sunday Mass…
If you get to be king of the universe, you’d think that would come with some pretty good amenities. What does such a king deserve? The one we celebrate at every Mass got nailed to a cross. The Mass readings…
While shopping at our local grocery store, I saw a mother trying to do the same thing—shop—while also trying to foil her little boy’s continued attempts to knock displays over. The more breakable the better. Once he even tried to…
The Wall Street Journal reported recently that the U.S. population of Christians is dwindling as atheists, agnostics and the unaffiliated replace them (Religiosity, Church Attendance Fall Sharply, Oct. 18th). A few pages later, Jillian Kay Melchior observed in her “Houses…
The greatest artists put themselves into their works. That’s why their choice of media is so important to them. It affects their art’s texture and therefore the message they wish to communicate through their work. As the artist of artists,…
Leaving an adoration chapel empty-hearted is like going to a store for something you need and not buying anything. As many window shoppers can tell you, that form of retail just reminds you of what you lack. By not making…
Most parents hate it when their kids pester them for something. Not God Our Father. He expects it. In fact, he’s perpetually attentive to perpetual prayer. That’s why many churches devote a chapel to that purpose. This Sunday’s readings support…