It is hard to believe that we are already at the Ascension of our Lord and we are hearing Christ’s final commandment to His disciples, “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” May this mission echo within our hearts. This is our Baptismal call—to announce that Christ died for the forgiveness of sins to those who do not know His mercy! I periodically honestly evaluate how I spend my time, especially considering my narcolepsy, to this great mission of our Lord. I always see opportunities for growth.   Click on title for full column.

It would be easy, knowing that I have taken an oath of fidelity to the teaching authority of the Church on three separate occasions, to say that obviously I have to oppose the legal protection for abortion because I’ve taken vows, and I’d get in trouble otherwise, and so on and so forth. It’s certainly true that I wouldn’t have any integrity if I insisted on picking and choosing what teachings I want to believe and which ones I’d rather ignore, seeing as I’ve taken all those oaths, and will soon take it again when I assume responsibility for another parish. But especially in this case, we find a place where my oaths and my strongest personal convictions dovetail into the deep-seated belief that if we cannot protect and promote the fundamental right to life for the most defenseless in our society, then our entire understanding of human dignity and civic responsibility is irrevocably broken. Click on title for full column.

“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Our Lord shares these words with the Apostles at the Last Supper because in John’s Gospel our Lord gives a rather lengthy discourse. With that in mind, it is helpful to read His words through the lens that we are on the eve of His Passion and Death. “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” suddenly becomes a more poignant line. It is not a cute phrase to frame and hang on your wall. It is the summit of Christian discipleship. Love as Christ loves—laying down our life in union with Him, embracing our crosses for the salvation of souls, to know our Lord and love our Lord to the point that we can imitate Him and His love.   Click on title for full column.

Happy Easter, friends. On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates Good Shepherd Sunday, and it’s a great opportunity to reflect on the nature of how we allow the Lord to lead us and what the role of the shepherd is. The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd has been the subject of many artistic renderings and meditations over the years, so much so that I fear that it becomes white noise instead of a moving image of Jesus’ love for us. Particularly for a cold-hearted monster like myself, it’s hard to maintain an affection for the image of the Good Shepherd when you’ve seen approximately 7,350 Precious Moments-esque renderings thereof. Click title for full column.