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From what do you need to be freed? Luke 1:68 is the opening verse of a prayer, “The Canticle of Zechariah,” that some Catholics pray every morning: Blessed be the Lord,The God of Israel;He has come to His people and set them free. Lately I’ve been stuck on this verse, and the question it raises:…
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Do you trust me? I don’t know if you ever have this experience, but I have found that some themes, questions, and challenges keep coming back to me, generally because I haven’t satisfactorily addressed them before. How many times have we committed to getting to Mass early, or at least on time? How many times…
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I am eager to hear more. My first impressions of Pope Leo XIV, based on his “Urbi et Orbi” message, delivered at his introduction as the new pontiff, and the homily he gave at his first mass with the College of Cardinals after his election, are very encouraging. Two short addresses, given to different audiences…
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Second Day Thoughts on Pope Leo XIV When Grandpa dies, you don’t recast the role. I’m 100% onboard with Pope Leo XIV, but seeing a new guy in white makes the loss of Pope Francis real in a different way. Kevin Farrell could have been the first American pope. You may have heard the name…
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Here’s what I posted on Facebook today. I plan to write more reflective notes on what Pope Leo XIV from the balcony and what that might mean for the Church tomorrow. OK Real quick because I have a day job: 1) I think this is a great if extremely surprising choice. There’s been a longstanding…
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I’m glad I’m not a Catholic bishop in the US. In the Gospels, Jesus saves his harshest words for religious leaders that lead their followers astray. I think especially of Matthew 18, where, after saying that his followers should humble themselves like a little child, he says, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who…
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What are you filled with? During the Easter season, the Church uses passages of the Acts of the Apostles instead of the Old Testament for the first reading at Mass, which I love, because it’s my favorite book (even if the mass readings skip over the best parts of the book). I noticed something new…
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Last summer, I went on retreat in Assisi with an outline I called “Francis x Francis”, and I don’t think I ever got around to sharing it here. The bottom line, though, is that I think you can find a lot of similarities between the life and teaching of Pope Francis and those of the…
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Where are you this Holy Week? For those of you who are Catholic, Holy Week – starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Easter – includes a LOT of listening to Bible stories. Especially if you participate in the Triduum – marked by the services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil on…
