Thursday, March 25, 2010 By Michael Daley Borrowing a phrase from presidential politics, when asked “Why do I stay in the church?” my reply is, “It’s the imagination, stupid.” Since my birth, in ways both conscious and unconscious, the church has provided me with numerous images, metaphors, and stories. Priest, …

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 By Sister Betty J. Lillie, S.C. Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion: Procession Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-7; Psalm 22:8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23:56 The perimeters of our Lukan readings for this Palm Sunday include important events for our Holy Week reflections. There is the …

Thursday, March 18, 2010 By Father Earl Fernandes Some years ago, I was at a cookout with some friends and someone said, “Father, you’re Indian but your last name is Fernandes. Why is that?” I answered that some Indians have Portuguese names because the Portuguese colonized part of India around Goa, …

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 By Sister Betty J. Lillie, S.C. Fifth Sunday of Lent: Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126:1-6; Philippians 3:8-14; John 8:1-11 The words of Second Isaiah rang out good news of comfort for God’s people because their exile in Babylon was coming to an end. The tide was turning; …

Thursday, March 11, 2010 By Jeanne Hunt I often begin my talks to children preparing for their first holy Communion with these words, “Hello, I am Mrs. Hunt, and last Sunday I made my 4,124th holy Communion. You should be so lucky!” I then tell the children a story about …

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 By Sister Betty J. Lillie, S.C. Fourth Sunday of Lent: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; Psalm 34: 2-7;  2 Corinthians 5:17-21;  Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32 It may seem a little strange to hear the words celebrate and rejoice on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. But that is what …

By Sister Betty Jane Lillie, S.C.  Third Sunday of Lent: Exodus 3: 1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8; 1 Corinthians 10: 1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9   Our Gospel passage this week gives us a focus for understanding the message of our liturgical readings. It falls into two parts: one stresses the …

Thursday, March 4, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel In a gathering, once upon a time, a Catholic priest was getting a good-natured ribbing from a friend. “You Catholics,” the friend quipped, “divide the world to conquer it.” “It’s true,” the priest answered back. “We feel like we own the whole world!”

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 By Sister Betty J. Lillie, S.C. Third Sunday of Lent: Exodus 3: 1-8a, 13-15; Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8; 1 Corinthians 10: 1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9 Our Gospel passage this week gives us a focus for understanding the message of our liturgical readings. It falls into two parts: …

Thursday, February 25, 2010 By Michael Daley Recently, L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican’s semi-official newspaper, had a congratulatory article celebrating the Simpsons 20th anniversary. Yes, I mean the show about the beer-guzzling, nuclear plant working, incompetent, overweight and vulgar resident of Springfield, Homer Simpson.