This week’s second reading from 1 Corinthians picks up where we left off last Sunday. Last week we heard about the diversity of the Body of Christ, namely, the gifts: some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. This is absolutely true. God blesses each of us with different gifts. Click here for entry form.

Because of my vow of celibacy, there are a number of chickens that will never come home to roost, and many of the express or implicit warnings of my mom and dad throughout the years will not come back to bite me. That is to say, I was a particularly whiny, one-track mind child, and I had a real propensity for sticking with a point until everyone around me was deeply irritated. But even though I may hold the world record for repeating phrases like “I don’t want to go to Gogi’s house” or “Are we there yet?” the most times on a single car ride, I will never learn patience from hearing my own children follow in my deeply grating footsteps. Click title for full column.

certainly been times in my life when I had fewer responsibilities and was less tied down than I am nowadays. Just a few months before I entered seminary, a college friend called and asked me if I wanted to go to Turkey for Easter, and a few minutes later I had bought a plane ticket and was ready to go. Spending a week in a place so steeped in the early history of Christianity was a truly awesome experience because I had the opportunity to see the difference in what is emphasized in Eastern as opposed to Western Christianity. It is almost impossible to find a Church in Constantinople that does not depict Our Lord descending into the depths and reclaiming the souls of Adam and Eve from the tomb, and it is a sight to behold. Click title for full column.

One of the blessings of living one’s life according to the liturgical calendar and its seasons is how easy it is to focus on the mysteries of the Faith in the days and weeks following major feasts. For parish staff, Advent and Lent are major periods of planning, organization, and logistics that come to fruition in the great feasts of Christmas and Easter. The reward in the following weeks is being able to spend our time and energy reflecting on the glory of the Lord and the great gifts we receive in our lives. But even as we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the time is upon us to snap back to both ordinary life and ordinary time and think about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Click on title for full column.