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It was early when I came downstairs. Just before I reached for the switch, something across the room caught my eye. There was a single patch of light. At first, I thought it was a message alert on … more
Ten years ago, I bought an Eastern Hemlock and planted it at the edge of a wooded ravine in my backyard. I knew I was tempting fate. Tsuga canadensis is an important species in New England and the … more
Years ago, a friend gave me a copy of a lithograph of St. Lazarus — the one held in the bosom of Abraham, not the Lazarus awakened by Jesus from a four-day death nap. There’s a church … more
If you find yourself in a group of inmates and the conversation starts to lag, ask them about their grandmothers. I’ve seen hardened men come to tears talking about their grandmas, many of … more
For three years in the mid-1970s, my wife and I were Catholic volunteers in a program called VIDA, a peace corps-type program run by the diocese of Pueblo, Colorado. In the summer of 1977, one of … more
There is an old story in the Jewish Hasidic tradition of the Rabbi Eizik, son of Yekel. He was a poor rabbi who lived in Cracow. One night, Rabbi Eizik had a dream. In this dream, he was led to … more
I have a friend who could have been a great pastor, but he spent his professional life as a machinist instead. He never went to seminary, barely made it through high school. The Navy was going … more
Every era faces challenges adapting to the vagaries of weather and climate change. Today, the challenge is global warming, but in the 17th century, the challenge was a global cool-down, a period … more
My second-grade teacher taught us a simple morning offering: “My God, I give You, this day, all that I think and do and say.” It didn’t take me long to see how fraught with peril … more
“Can the sister get an Amen?” She’d get it, too, from little Black kids to aging white bishops. A Franciscan whose death at 52 cheated the Church, Sister Thea Bowman spoke in a … more
My second-grade teacher taught us a simple morning offering: “My God, I give You, this day, all that I think and do and say.” It didn’t take me long to see how fraught with peril … more
“Can the sister get an Amen?” She’d get it, too, from little Black kids to aging white bishops. A Franciscan whose death at 52 cheated the Church, Sister Thea Bowman spoke in a … more
An old Roman philosopher said, “There is no easy way from earth to the stars.” Nearly 2,000 years after Seneca’s death, we still haven’t made it, but we are getting … more
When Moses was standing barefoot before the burning bush, getting his marching orders against Pharaoh, he asked, “Who shall I say sent me?” The Voice then identifies itself as Yahweh: … more
I was in a vain denial. Then I realized that most of our dinner conversations consisted of me saying, “What?” And then my pretense backfired when deafly nodding with a big grin to a … more
This article was originally published in the July 13, 2012, print edition of The Catholic Missourian: I heard none of it. Franciscan Father Jozo Zovko was speaking to pilgrims from all over … more
CLICK HERE to read a related article in The Catholic Missourian. CLICK HERE to read the full text of the report. In this issue of The Catholic Missourian, the report of the diocesan … more
“Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” It’s a genuine response by some unable to say anything else in the face of another’s pain. It may be cliché, but it is … more
Over these past few weeks, we have seen many serious, sad headlines and news stories reflecting a growing disrespect for the dignity of human life. Every day, there is news about the suffering of … more
 “... Do unto others as you would have them do to you ...” Familiar, but these words in Matthew were not the source of the Golden Rule. It can be traced more than 4,000 years, … more
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