As May flowers remind us of Mary’s title as the new Eve, Mother of the Living. we mark the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si Pope Francis’ encyclical on care of the earth. Challenging us to consider what sort of world we wanted to leave our children, Pope Francis called for reflection and action to preserve [...]
As COVID-19 spread rapidly and was declared a pandemic, the world united in tracking both the disease’s course and international, national, and regional efforts to control the spread and mitigate its effects. The number of fatalities was and continues to be overwhelming. The individual stories of people dying, the numbers of people dying after caring [...]
Easter calls us to celebrate the risen Christ; a week later, Divine Mercy Sunday calls us to accept the gift and challenge Christ’s resurrection brings to us. Thomas is with the other apostles, all still frightened, all still sheltering in place. Once again Jesus greets his friends, “Peace. Do not be afraid.” He then addresses [...]
How do we celebrate Easter and sing our alleluias while sheltering in place? As death and illness surround us, how do we celebrate resurrection and new life? We have missed the terrible beauty: the love and pain, the poignancy and reassurances of Holy Week services. How different this Lent, this Holy Week! And yet, this [...]
We are told several times in Luke’s Gospel that Mary “pondered in her heart” God’s mysterious ways. These days we too have much to ponder as COVID-19 has changes our lives and the lives of so many around the world. Of course, the Lenten challenge is to allow God to change our hearts. On Sunday, [...]
This Wednesday we will mark the feast of the Annunciation. Scheduled nine months before Christmas, this memory of God’s promise of the Incarnation and Mary’s assent provides sharp contrast to our Lenten anticipation of the passion and death of Christ. And yet, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, this feast reminds us that [...]
As we move through Lent, we are reminded that the fragility and vulnerability of Jesus demonstrates his power. Christ's openness and uncompromising self-sacrifice models for us as individuals and as nations a way to dialogue into peace and reconciliation.On February 29, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani [...]
On the first Sunday of Lent we celebrate the Rite of Election in which we express our affirmation of and prayerful support for those who have been preparing to enter the Catholic Church. Dating back to at least the fifth century, this election seems far removed from our divisive national electoral process, but as Christians [...]
The title of Christ, Word of God made flesh, reminds us that by God's loving word we were created and then in Christ we each became a new creation. Our words are also significant, shaping attitudes and actions, so we might reflect on our private and public discourse, holding our leaders and ourselves accountable for [...]
Last week in anticipation of the feast of the Epiphany, we added the three magi to our nativity sets. However, Thursday's news aired no message of peace and joy; instead, we learned a targeted airstrike in Baghdad had killed General Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s military who, according to intelligence reports had been actively [...]
