Aug
14
St. Max
August 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Today is the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe. He is my parish’s patron saint and there is a big stain glass window of him in our church. So I’ve done quite a bit of studying his life and praying to him and, through the years, I’ve grown in devotion to this rather remarkable man.
Most people only know him [...]
Aug
7
Observations
August 7, 2008 | 1 Comment
Some observations on this, the perfect Midwestern summer night -
- There is nothing better than an unsolicited hug and “I Love You, Daddy” from your little girl;
- It’s not a coincidence when you run into an old friend whom you have always known as a good and decent person;
- There is nothing that sounds more beautiful than “Celtic Woman”;
- [...]
Aug
3
Ryan Hall
August 3, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The Olympics start on Friday, but the guy I’m most intrigued by won’t compete until the 24th when the Men’s Marathon is run.
Ryan Hall, is a 20’s-something long-distance runner who last year stepped up to half-marathons and marathons. He made his marathon debut in London and ran a sub-2:10 (which is outstanding). He blew away [...]
Aug
1
St. Alphonsus de Liguori
August 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Today is the feast day for St. Alphonsus, a doctor of the Church who lived in the 18th Century. He was an Italian bishop who founded the Redemptorists. But he is probably best known for two works he wrote - Twelve Steps to Holiness and Salvation and Uniformity with God’s Will.
It’s the second work that struck a chord [...]
Jul
31
St. Ignatius of Loyola
July 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I think many of us wonder whether we’ve just blown it. Whether God has just given up on us and declared us a lost cause. Yes, he may grant us mercy and redemption, but he has nevertheless decided that we have screwed up his plan for us so badly that he has us just playing out [...]
Jul
26
Saving a Child
July 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I usually leave the political talk to other blogs, but I heard about this story and it struck a chord in me.
As many of you know, I was placed for adoption when I was born. I had serious birth defects that I still live with to this day, including a cleft lip. I went through several [...]
Jul
24
Deaf/Blind v. Hearing/Sight
July 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I am a history buff; even have a degree in it. One of my interests is comparing previous generations to ours; what were their times like, what choices did they make, where did they go wrong or right?
In reading today’s gospel (Matthew 13), I’m reminded that every generation has those who reflect both sides of [...]
Jul
22
The Holy Father at WYD2008 Sydney
July 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment
The following are excerpts from the Holy Father’s homily at the closing Mass for WYD 2008. These thoughts are meant for all of us - not just the youth present Down Under.
“God’s love can only unleash its power when it is allowed to change us from within. We have to let it break through the [...]
Jun
30
Happy Mid-Year!
June 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
It seems like just yesterday that we started the new year, yet here we are at the midpoint. I’m finding myself trying to look back over the past six months and figure out whether I’ve done what God expected of me.
Sometimes, I wish God would give us a performance evaluation. We all have to suffer [...]
Jun
27
The Angelus
June 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment
One of these days, I’m going to write a book about forgotten traditions in the Church. It seems that I am writing a great deal about traditions and devotions that I didn’t know about until I really started paying attention a couple years ago.
I came across another example today.
My kids have been in vacation bible school all [...]
