Jul
20
The Crops v. the Weeds
July 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I have found myself growing more and more anxious about events in the world. It seems we are under seige from a variety of fronts - cultural, economic, domestic, international.
So, I’ve been praying for a sense of security, a hint of optimism. And God sent such a thought to me the other day as I was contemplating the half-million [...]
Dec
29
Power, Anger & Fear
December 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Yesterday, we dealt with the devastating consequences of one man’s fear for his power - Herod and his massacre of the Holy Innocents.
Today, we deal with the devastating consequences of one man’s anger arising from his thirst for power - King Henry II and the assassination of St. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Here’s how the [...]
Dec
5
It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way!
December 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Wow, I love nights like I had last night! When God slaps me across the face and says, “Son, you got it good! Be grateful. Make the most of my blessings to you.”
I was in Columbus (Ohio’s state capitol) all day. I was returning home around dinner time. As it’s a two hour drive home, [...]
Nov
12
Helping The Sin of Others
November 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Have you ever caused someone else to sin? Have you ever failed to stop someone from sinning?
If we have, then Christ wants to have a word with us.
In today’s gospel (Luke 17:1-6), Christ warns “[t]hings that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur.” In other words, do not [...]
Nov
4
Can Sheep Climb Trees?
November 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Imagine a great and holy man comes to town. You, a man despised by polite society, decide to go down to see him. You realize that you can’t get a good look at him because of the crowd. You are short of stature and try jumping and nudging your way around, but it’s no use - you [...]
Nov
2
I Hate Overtime!!
November 2, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I’ve got a big problem today.
I’m a good, devout, faithful, life-long Catholic.
But I’ve never been able to get my head around the concept of Purgatory.
I think of Purgatory as kind of like being in a ballgame and not knowing the score until the very end (heck, for that matter, not even knowing when the game is [...]
Oct
29
A Clouded Mind
October 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment
What can cloud a person’s mind so much that they say and believe utter nonsense?
For me, I’m sitting here still trying to digest the Bengals’ loss to the Steelers - yet again (we haven’t beaten the Steelers at home since 2002 - jeez!). Do I believe the utter nonsense that my Bengals will ever be consistently good? Is my [...]
Oct
28
Running the Race Well
October 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
There comes a point in any endurance race when you want to give up - and you find a way to push through. And then when you cross the finish line, the feeling is as glorious as anything you could ever hope to experience.
As a runner, today’s 2nd Reading is one of my favorites among all of St. Paul’s writings (2 [...]
Oct
27
We’re Under Attack - So What?
October 27, 2007 | 1 Comment
Are Catholics under attack? If so, does it matter?
Deacon Keith A. Fournier has an interesting column on Catholic.org - “Anti-Catholicism on the Rise - We Must Stand Firm.”
A great deal of what he said is true - Catholicism and Catholics are being attacked, mocked and joked about at every turn. The “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” sacrilege in [...]
Oct
25
“Rouse Him at the Name of Crispian”
October 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment
Sometimes, you gotta wonder about the timing of God’s messages - the gospel for today (Luke 12:49-53) has Christ exhorting us that “I have come to set the earth on fire,
and how I wish it were already blazing!”
In any case, I think it’s best to just leave this gospel alone considering the events of this week.
Instead, I want [...]
