Today is the Feast of the Visitation, recounting the episode in Luke’s Gospel in which Mary, who’s just been told by the angel Gabriel she will give birth to Jesus, goes to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. In Luke 1, starting at the 39th verse, we’re told: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in … Continue reading Praying with Mary and Elizabeth
Month: May 2019
The heart of a saint … Why relics?
I had the opportunity last Saturday to attend the pilgrimage of the heart of St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, patron saint of priests, to St. John of Nepomuk Catholic Church in Yukon, Oklahoma. This occasion was momentous in itself, but also gave me an opportunity to delve into the question: Why relics? St. Jean Vianney The two-day … Continue reading The heart of a saint … Why relics?
Made, and called, together, in the image of God
Almighty God, whose Son, the risen Christ, sent forth your apostles Andronicus and Junia to proclaim the Gospel and extend your reign: send us forth in your Holy Spirit, that women and men may minister as one in faithful witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the … Continue reading Made, and called, together, in the image of God
Praying for Peace with Our Lady of Fatima
After my last piece on thin places, I decided to spend some time today in another of my favorite thin places -- the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, in the small town of Bison, Oklahoma. Quite by accident I noticed (yes, I had overlooked) that today was the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, recalling the … Continue reading Praying for Peace with Our Lady of Fatima
Secularization. The death of a thin place.
Much is made these days of the secularization of society -- the loss of influence of Christianity, and religion in general, in society at large. I've generally considered this a topic for the coasts and Europe. Here in the buckle of America's Bible Belt, where a town of 50,000 gladly supports more than 100 churches, … Continue reading Secularization. The death of a thin place.
Death and life eternal: Our faith, in 10 simple words
Death. It is a tough topic. And, for many of us, it is an uncomfortable one. But, it is unavoidable. I have had to overcome my own fears of being around death and dying in the last two years of nursing home ministry. In this environment, death always is nearby in space and time. It … Continue reading Death and life eternal: Our faith, in 10 simple words
Violence in the name of God is an affront to all faiths
When 19 year-old John Earnest walked into the Chabad of Poway synagogue and opened fire on April 27 — the last day of Passover, and six months to the day after the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh — he had a particularly unsettling motivation. He believed he, as a Christian, was doing the … Continue reading Violence in the name of God is an affront to all faiths
Surrender — a dirty word in this world, the path to glory in Christ
The deeper I go into Christian faith, the more I understand it as a series of stark contrasts between what is considered desirable by the world’s standards, versus The Way of Christ. And there is perhaps no starker contrast between these realms than how we understand the concept of surrender. Growing up, I learned … Continue reading Surrender — a dirty word in this world, the path to glory in Christ