I’ve been musing on Joseph and how significant his presence is. It seems as if the whole point of Joseph’s life is just to be present to Jesus and Mary. Miracles, words of wisdom, grand gestures? Nope. Just be present wholeheartedly to God and those around you. That’s enough.
A friend was thanking me for praying for him when he said something most striking. He remarked on how we ask people to pray for us, but forget to thank them later on.
What a profound thought. We say thank you to someone who’s done us some favor, and…
I was recently reflecting on the Presentation and Simeon’s surprising enthusiasm at meeting Jesus. He’d waited so long and patiently for the Messiah, and what did he see?
Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. Families are planning gatherings all around the country—hopefully, joyful ones. The reality, though, is that many are mentally cladding themselves in iron cloaks and adopting a survivor’s mentality in anticipation of dinner with their family members.
Catholics are known for many things. One is the set of ‘calisthenics’ we perform at Mass, which often bewilders newcomers—we stand, then sit, then stand again, sit again, stand again, kneel, etc. Another is the belief in the Real Presence…
The most concrete example of friendship in the Scriptures is the interaction between Jesus and the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). Everyone rightfully pays attention to what Jesus does when the paralytic comes down through the roof. Less frequently discussed are the friends. Their conduct is a clear example of what authentic friendship…
The other week, I shot a friend of mine (let’s call her Rita) an email. The subject line: “10 Things I Like about You.” My intent was to give her spirits a boost. According to a mutual friend of ours, Rita had been struggling with handling a certain issue.
People are starved for good conversation. Whether they know it or not, many are longing for something beyond the surface level encounters typical between modern people. Yet how to strike deeper?