17 March, Stoning
Today’s Gospel Story (John 8:1-11) is the Woman Caught in Adultery. Church law of those days said she was to be put to death by stoning. The upright men of…
6 March 2013, Excommunication- Part Deux
The Q&A part of the Bishops’ letter states excommunication is the Church’s way of saying a person has done something that harms the Church and also harms the person’s relationship…
6 March 2013, Thoughts on Excommunication
Yesterday’s announcement by the Bishop is a disturbing event in our diocese. Probably it will lead to self-righteous judging and polarization on all sides, always, of course, in the name…
Benedict, “tough choices”
The resignation of Benedict XVI is an historical event. I have no desire to evaluate his papacy. There are already many much more qualified than I who are doing that.…
23 January, fulfilled?
In the Gospel for this coming Sunday (Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21) Jesus in the local synagogue reads the following passage from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because…
10 January, random thoughts, Heschel
Recently I heard a program about Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. One of the things he said was, “It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats; religion…
10 January, Letter from an Army Wife
A few days ago I received the following letter from an Army Wife whom I knew on active duty and for whom I have a great deal of repeat. I…
December 30, Thoughts on Holy Famiy
Some thoughts on the Feast of the Holy Family and current events. Recently in one of his first tweets, Pope Benedict said the way to live the current year of…
Christmas Eve wondering
And so we come yet again to Christmas. It is not an easy time. Most recently there is the tragedy in Newtown, Conn. There is the current fiscal cliff issue,…
December 14, other ways . . .
Why can there not be more than one way to look at and live those parts of the catholic tradition that are not “essential”. In fact, there already are. There…