Catholic
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I took piano lessons when I was a kid for four or five years. I wasn’t good at it, but I learned to read music and could make my way through “Für Elise,” the “Star Wars” theme, “Send in the Clowns,” the theme to “Endless Love”. You know, the classics. But I never liked to…
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In light of the war between the United States (and Israel) and Iran, I’ve been hearing a lot of references within Catholic circles to “just war” doctrine, the teaching of the Church that relates to armed conflict between nations. This doctrine dates back to St. Ambrose and St. Augustine in the first few centuries of…
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They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. -Psalm 106:37 When I can, I try to sneak off to daily Mass during my lunch break. Unlike the liturgy on Sundays, these are quiet, simple and quick: it’s usually at most a few dozen people in a mostly empty church, with no music (unless your…
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I seem to have taught the Facebook algorithm that I like t-shirts with faith-based slogans (which is fine by me). One popular one says “Be salty; Stay lit”, cheekily translating Matthew 5:13-14, in which Jesus tells his disciples that they are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, as part of…
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“Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” One of the things I like to do early in the week is read through the Scripture passages that will be used that week at Mass. Catholics have a set (2-year) cycle of passages for each weekday mass, and a separate (3-year) cycle for Sundays. A lot…
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Fruit is either ripening, or it is rotting. I test high on liking to take personality tests, I like to joke. Of the many personality assessments I’ve taken over the years, one has been particularly clarifying for me as a leader. While I don’t remember the name of the instrument, my whole work team took…
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We have a snake in our backyard. He’s a 2-3 foot black racer, and he likes to hang out on the rocks by our garden hoses, so I call him Rocky. I had a pet grass snake for a little while when I was young, so I don’t mind Rocky. April is another story. I’ve…
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How do we treat a traitor? Trust in institutions is broad and deep. We distrust almost everyone, it seems, and along with that distrust comes the feeling that people are betraying us, selling us out for power or wealth. Maybe it’s insurance executives delaying and denying claims so they can pocket more profit, or private…
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Did you know that I wrote a book? Are you looking for a book of short daily reflections that you can read this Advent season? Did you plan to buy my book, but never got around to it? Have you bought my book, loved it, and want to share it with others? If any of…
Reading Francis 