The divine design of prison breaks

“El Chapo,” the infamous Mexican drug lord, will go down in history for his inability to escape prison. Yes, he staged two elaborate vacations from them—the second via an impressive Hogan’s-Heroes-style  tunnel he dug beneath his cell—but he was just…

Leadership: One size fits none

Last week’s inauguration was designed to help Donald Trump accept an oversized hand-me-down mantle of leadership that he’ll have to grow into—just as each of its previous owners did. The ceremonies began with a series of prayers for the success…

What, me, fisher of men?

Guys like me who pontificate about matters of faith should pay special attention to this Sunday’s mass readings. Although many of us are guided by the Spirit, we can sometimes take a bit too much pride in occasionally saying something pithy…

Upgrade your state of reunion

Judging from the top viral videos, we’re all suckers for reunions—especially those involving military people who have been separated from their families for many months. You can see hours of these moments online—including those involving pets reacting to their returned…

The King who got into Herod’s head

“How many thousand of my poorest subjects are at this hour asleep! O sleep, O gentle sleep, nature’s soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, that thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down and steep my senses in forgetfulness?…

An Appointment with Father Time

In the early 1960s, writer Rod Serling used his Twilight Zone TV series to tell enlightening parables for his time. They often had a shocking twist at the end. If Serling were alive today, this Sunday’s mass readings might have…

Faith ignites perpetual light

Watching the movie “The Song of Bernadette” the other night made me think of Christmas tree lights—the old annoying series-wired kind.  A string of these lights goes dark when one bulb goes bad. But using the glass-half-full perspective, you could…

Prayer offers us a stronger leg to stand on

The running gag throughout A Christmas Story (the movie about a boy and his coveted b-b gun) is how Ralphie keeps leaving little clues for his parents about what he wants for Christmas.  He’s afraid his wish would never be…

Crumpled but redeemable

Would you take the time to stoop and rescue a crumpled, filthy piece of paper from the sidewalk on your journey to an important appointment? You probably would if you recognized Ben Franklin’s face peering through the dirt. That little…