What’s in a name?
Readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist Each of us probably has a story behind our name. On this solemnity, we hear the wondrous backstory of the naming of John the Baptist. I know it’s … Read More
Sign of life and of sacrifice
Readings for Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Year B Blood is such a visceral thing. Seeing it out in the open usually means something is wrong. Blood simply is not meant to be outside of … Read More
The Trinity is a mystery even a child could understand
Readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year B About Liturgy Homilists often dread preparing the homily for this Sunday’s solemnity because it is so easy to get caught up in trying to explain either a mathematical conundrum … Read More
Blessing for a pastor or other staff person leaving the parish
When a pastor or other staff person leaves a parish, it is often a time of sadness, but also an opportunity to send them with our prayers and God’s blessings into whatever new community or ministry God is calling them. … Read More
Pentecost will not be tamed by our balloons
Readings for Pentecost Sunday, Mass during the day, Year B I would like to suggest that today’s popular image of Pentecost as the “birthday of the church” is not helpful. The problem comes when we start to associate the symbols … Read More
Moveable Feasts
Readings for the Solemnity of the Ascension, Year B About Liturgy Why do some places celebrate Ascension on Thursday while others move it to the following Sunday? The Synoptic Gospels give us the tradition of placing the Ascension forty days … Read More
Can you love another without being their friend?
Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B Anyone who has been in a long-term relationship knows that loving another person is as much about daily reconciling as it is about feeling love. Perhaps that is why Jesus today … Read More
Thanksgiving for the Blessing of Work
The first time I realized that the Church has something to say about the dignity of work was when I first read Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes and Pope John Paul II’s Laborem Exercens. Those documents helped me see that … Read More
Being witnesses for Christ and one another
Readings for the Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B About Liturgy We know well that to be disciples we are to be witnesses for Christ. Yet we are also called to be witnesses for one another, speaking on behalf of … Read More
Saint Expeditus – A Saint for Procrastinators
You won’t find his feast day on your liturgical calendar, but four days after tax day in the U.S. is always a great day to remember this apocryphal saint. And to paraphrase what we say about good stories, all saint … Read More