Last year, I was knocked to the ground and pinned down by an assailant who held his hand over my mouth. I cried out, “I can’t breathe!” About 30 long seconds later he finally let me go. As I reflect on the heartbreaking deadly scene of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into George […]
For most people, the pandemic of the last several months turned the world upside down. Emerging from a state of emergency has brought about lifestyle changes that are referred to as the new normal. The steps we take now in order to move forward are a resurrection moment for all of us. In the sacred […]
You might have heard that in early June, Pope Francis called Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso. It’s not unusual for the pope to speak to bishops, of course, but this phone call created some news because Pope Francis called Bishop Seitz shortly after the bishop and a number of priests in his diocese participated […]
The Sunday Gospel readings this July contain several of Jesus’ parables. In teaching with parables, Jesus is clearly using a technique from his Jewish background since these short narratives are found in the Old Testament and later rabbinic literature. What is a parable? It is a brief story using something familiar to the reader/hearer to […]
You might have heard that in early June, Pope Francis called Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso. It’s not unusual for the pope to speak to bishops, of course, but this phone call created some news because Pope Francis called Bishop Seitz shortly after the bishop and a number of priests in his diocese participated […]
The Sunday Gospel readings this July contain several of Jesus’ parables. In teaching with parables, Jesus is clearly using a technique from his Jewish background since these short narratives are found in the Old Testament and later rabbinic literature. What is a parable? It is a brief story using something familiar to the reader/hearer to […]
As I write this (May 8) the New York State Police have issued an Amber Alert for a 9-year-old missing boy, Gustavo, probably kidnapped. The alert features the boy’s name, hair and eye colors, and what he is wearing. All were asked to be on the look-out for him. Thankfully, he was found safe. The […]
We have entered a period of response to the pandemic now when there is a great deal of discussion about which social policies are appropriate going forward. Should we open businesses? Which ones? Should we wear masks or not? Should we maintain social distancing? Which activities should still be banned? When and under what conditions […]
By divine design, the Feast of Pentecost occurred on May 31, the point of transition to a new month and a gradual return to a sense of normal on the tails of the coronavirus global pandemic. After three months of the New York pause, we have been not unlike Mary and the apostles gathered in […]