There’s No Grandfather Clause

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…

Do we deserve a dying thief’s fate?

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…

Throwing Ourselves on the Mercy of His Court

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…

Faith outlives despots trying to kill it

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…

Billions of Masterpieces

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,…

The Power behind Our Weakness

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…

Pestering God is Scriptural

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…

A Grateful Heart Pumps Joy

The title on top of this week’s blog could be a country song, and in a way, it is. Being grateful is a theme in so many country songs that they almost melt together into one. If your heart is…

What Didn’t Kill Jesus Makes Us Stronger

During tough times, people throughout history have reached out to God for strength. To this day, we still rely on the philosophy of prophets to bolster our faith. In more recent history, when faced with Nazi death camps, Communist nihilism,…