Thursday, February 6, 20200479When I was in seminary we were always told that the formation we received in the seminary was the beginning of our learning experience, not the end, that when we became priests we needed to stay updated with new information, new theology, new learning. We were told that on-going formation as a priest is not a choice, but a necessity,...
Wednesday, February 5, 20200183Catholic Schools Week was flush with rosy-cheeked children visiting the Pastoral Center and loving their opportunity to snap a selfie with our Bishop Edward J. Burns.
At the same time, I was celebrating the Foundation Year of St. Gregory’s School in Tyler with a lively and enthusiastic flock of fifth-graders (the oldest class now...
Tuesday, December 24, 20190163This is such a special time of the year when we celebrate the humble birth in Bethlehem of the Baby Jesus who was Christ the King. How grateful we are that God sent His only Son to teach and save us! Today, we continue to wonder at that amazing gift of saving love for us that began in that stable.
Sunday, December 22, 20190349Silence and absence are two attitudes that are capable of straining a relationship. In our everyday relationships — between a man and a woman, or a husband and a wife, or among relatives, friends, work colleagues and even community members — if there is a prolonged silence or an unexplained absence, the relationship is headed for...
Friday, December 20, 20190388It’s been many months now since the Feast of Corpus Christi, but the Eucharist has been on my mind ever since, especially as Advent begins and we rekindle our longing for the presence of Christ. The feast was first celebrated in Belgium in 1247 and then extended to the entire Church by Urban IV in 1264 in order to affirm the real,...
Wednesday, December 18, 20190135Putting up a Nativity scene before Christmas is a reminder to stop and remember what Christmas is really about and to prepare one's heart like a manger for the coming of Christ, Pope Francis said. At his weekly general audience Dec. 18, the last audience before Christmas, Pope Francis dedicated his catechesis to the Nativity scene and to...
Wednesday, December 18, 20190478In the book of Exodus, the Lord instructs Moses to build a suitable place for His glorious presence (Exodus 25-40). Described simply as “the dwelling,” the Ark of the Covenant was a gilded wooden tabernacle containing the stone tablets of the commandments and manna, the bread from heaven. More important than these covenant treasures,...
Wednesday, December 11, 20190221Anyone who wants to experience the consolation and tenderness of God simply needs to go to confession, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass.
Monday, November 25, 20190149Beauty, creation and each human life are gifts of God to be treasured and shared, not enslaved to current societal ideas of what is valuable, perfect or productive, Pope Francis said at a Mass in the famous Tokyo Dome.
Monday, November 18, 20190419People today are deeply affected by the challenges of unity and diversity, especially the younger generations. These challenges are a chance for the Gospel to show its power.
For some people, our society’s affirmation of diversity must be so uncompromising that truth and unity, and therefore community, become acceptable losses. I...
