Advertisement

Featured

Tending the Shepherd

Comments Off on Tending the Shepherd
“Are you exercising the care of souls? Do not thereby neglect yourself. Do not give yourself to others to such an extent that nothing is left of yourself for yourself. You should certainly keep in mind the souls whose pastor you are, but without forgetting yourself.” — St. Charles Borromeo, Acta Ecclesiae Mediolanensis, 1599 We Read More

Priestly Virtues for Our Time

Comments Off on Priestly Virtues for Our Time
Pursuing virtue is an ancient and enduring quest that has guided humanity toward a life of freedom and purpose since the dawn of civilization. Over millennia, the wisdom of Catholic philosophers and theologians has distilled these virtues into foundational categories: the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, and the theological virtues of faith, Read More

Noticed, Named and Known

Comments Off on Noticed, Named and Known
In the ever-changing climate of today’s Church, youth ministry can seem like an overwhelming challenge for priests, especially in parishes with limited budgets or small staffs. One of the most profound resources, however, is the giftedness of parishioners. As St. Paul shares with the people in Corinth, there is one body but many parts (1 Read More

Welcoming Missionaries

Comments Off on Welcoming Missionaries
When I was growing up in the 1960s, a missionary was someone who went off to a distant, primitive, disadvantaged place to teach about Jesus. We parochial school children heard about brave priests and sisters who needed our help and support with fervent prayers and the sales of Holy Childhood Christmas seals. But in my Read More

‘I Know Mine and Mine Know Me’

Comments Off on ‘I Know Mine and Mine Know Me’
Herding sheep is the very first profession mentioned in the Bible: “Abel became a herder of flocks” (Gn 4:2). Sheep are the most prominent animal mentioned throughout Scripture. They provided staples for food, sacrifice and clothing. But sheep cannot defend themselves against predators. They need constant guarding. It is easy to understand how the shepherd Read More

If We Only Had a Heart

Comments Off on If We Only Had a Heart
This June we commemorate not only the month of the Sacred Heart, but also the conclusion of our celebration of the 350th anniversary of the manifestations of the Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, which took place from 1673 to 1675. As Pope Francis noted in announcing his intention to publish an encyclical on Read More

‘Do You Love Me?’

Comments Off on ‘Do You Love Me?’
As a cradle Catholic but later-in-life vocation, I was struck some years ago when I initially learned of the two different verbs for “love” employed in the dialogue between Jesus and Peter on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee) in the final post-resurrection appearance recounted in the Read More

Hope in Anxious Times

Comments Off on Hope in Anxious Times
Every pilgrimage demands pauses. These are times when we halt the journey to give our tired feet a rest and a chance to restore our energy. We are now about midpoint in our Holy Year of Hope proclaimed by Pope Francis. This is a good time to pause and reflect on what we are about Read More

Preacher of Joy

Comments Off on Preacher of Joy
In this Octave of Easter, we hear the stories of those first encounters with the Risen Lord. One of my favorites is the famous Road to Emmaus story, in which the two weary and grief-stricken disciples encounter a stranger along the way who listens to their concerns and breaks open the Scriptures to them. These Read More

Sowing Faith

, Comments Off on Sowing Faith
The needs in rural America are significant and run through the human heart. The landscape has changed dramatically over the past 40 years for the Catholic Church, as well as for other Christian faith denominations. What once was considered a rich soil for vocations to the Catholic priesthood and thriving Catholic congregations has now become Read More