Do we care more for the liturgy than Lazarus just outside our door?
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time There is a painting by 20th-century American artist Osvaldo Louis Guglielmi at the Milwaukee Art Museum titled “The Christening.” When I first saw it, I couldn’t take my... Read More
One body, many roles
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time A common liturgical rule that almost every community breaks at some point is having a person serve in more than one liturgical ministry within the same Mass. You... Read More
God’s love is for the entire flock
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time What about the ninety-nine sheep in today’s Gospel? Did they rejoice when their wayward companion came back? Or had they thought they had been ridden of him once... Read More
“Conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time In the Rite of Ordination of a Priest, as the bishop hands over the bread and wine to the newly ordained, he says to him, “Understand what you... Read More
Music is the sacramental sign of God’s love for us
Mrs. Johnson sat at the Baldwin upright and played three notes in a row that sounded like the NBC chimes. Knees locked, hands clenched at my sides, I tried to match the sounds... Read More
Why sing? Because God put a song in our hearts
One year, after my parents moved to a new state, I went to visit them for the Christmas holidays. We went to Mass on Christmas morning at their new parish. I was a... Read More
What’s for Dinner? Four ways family meals teach us about Eucharist
If Julia Child is not a saint, she is at least a “blessed” in my book. She changed how Americans understand meal sharing, and meal sharing is central to our lives as Catholics.... Read More
Scooch over, shift your perspective
Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Want to know the best way to get a better sense of what your parish is really like? Sit in a place you’re not used to sitting. Or... Read More