Reflections (Page 10)

When I was young, my mother would constantly remind me: Put your boots on…Bring an umbrella…Don’t forget to pack your lunch. In my youthful wisdom, I would chuckle and say, “Okay, mom” and proceed to follow none of the above. But sure enough, from nowhere, a snowstorm would appear, a drenching rain would ensue, or a certain “free lunch” that I thought would be served—wouldn’t. The bottom line? When wisdom fills your ears, there is wisdom in listening to it! Among the numerous…

What are the voices that scare us?  That’s easy! They are the harsh voices, the voices of condemnation, the menacing voices of impending doom. By contrast, let us think of the voices that have the power to soothe, to reassure, to calm our fears, to make us smile and face the world with a bit more courage. They are choice, selected voices. They are the voices of those people that have gained our trust with more than mere sound bites.…

Could it be that two thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit inspired St. Luke to write this event in the life of two of Jesus’ disciples in such a gripping way that we can see ourselves in many of its details? The geography has changed, of course; the issues are somewhat diverse; our concerns and fears are of a different nature; but the anguish, the worries, and the gloominess of the future ahead of us is so strikingly similar! The…

The song, One Less Bell to Answer, was written in 1967 by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. In 1970, it was recorded and included on the debut album of the group The Fifth Dimension. That year, the catchy tune made its way to the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieved platinum status. Its memorable lyrics lament the loss of a relationship: One less bell to answer…One less egg to fryOne less man to pick up afterI should be happyBut all I do…

How long did the joy we wore on Easter Day last? Could it be that the grinding of daily life has reclaimed our heart and mind? The readings for the 2nd Sunday of Easter are purposely very down to earth, addressing accurately human weaknesses, sinful tendencies, and limitations. This could be the reason why St. John Paul II, established the formerly called Dominica in albis depositis (Sunday of the removed white garments) as “Divine Mercy Sunday.” In the early centuries of the Church’s…

For my ways are not your ways, and my thoughts are not your thoughts, says the Lord. Those memorable words from the Prophet Isaiah (55:8) may have been on the mind of the English Catholic archbishop, William Bernard Ullathorne, when, on a Good Friday centuries ago, he said “…whoever embraces the Cross with an open heart finds there the explanation of a thousand mysteries.”  I don’t know about you, but each Good Friday, as the Passion narrative is read, I find…

We decry that, a long time ago, many in our society took Christ out of Christmas.  As believers, at Easter, our disappointment should be double!  A first disappointment: Easter bunnies have absolutely nothing to do with the risen Lord, while eggs and newly hatched chicks could be symbols of new life and, thus, be somewhat connected to Christ’s victory over death. There should be a second disappointment troubling true believers: so many fail to live viscerally and wholeheartedly in the supernatural reality…

On Wednesday, July 31, 1957, meteorological records indicate that Detroit’s weather was hot and sunny. With temperatures reaching 86 degrees and winds blowing out of the north at 7 miles per hour, it was about what you would expect for an ordinary summer day. Now if it were possible to transport ourselves to that day in history, I imagine that the morning newspaper would contain the results from Tuesday’s Tigers game and the latest news regarding the town’s movers and…

There is something unique about Holy Week.  We know that, starting with Palm Sunday, we should be reliving the events which erased the wrongs of our past, give meaning to our present and shape our future with a promise of immortality and eternal glory. Today’s passion narrative (Matthew 26:14 – 27:66) has a particular significance amid all the mysteries we will be reliving in these days with a heavy heart. We experience shame for being the cause of what Jesus…

In my 50 years of ministerial priesthood, I found myself confronted by situations that elicited in me spontaneous, irrepressible pity.  As a priest, of course, I know, and I preach about the value of suffering in union with Christ. I maintain that euthanasia is a direct interference with God’s plan for a dying person.  But, in hopeless cases, marked by palpable, futile struggles, the prayer that, time and again, rises from my heart and floods my mind is a variation…

During World War II an American airman named John was blinded in an airplane explosion. He was discharged from the Army Air Corps, and for the next twelve years he couldn’t see a thing. During these years he lived for a time with his parents in Texas, and then he married, had two children, and got along as well as he could. One day, while walking down a street using his white cane, John suddenly began to see what looked like “red sand”…

In his book, Jesus Shock, Professor Peter Kreeft declared: “Protestants believe that the sacraments are like ladders that God gave to us by which we can climb up to Him. Catholics believe that they are like ladders that God gave to Himself by which He climbs down to us.” As “outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace,” the sacraments may be categorized as follows: Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist); Healing (Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick); and Commitment (Holy Orders and Marriage). Additionally, each has two unique characteristics: a specific…