Jesus said: “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.” We’re exhausted – as individuals and as a society. Stress, anxiety, overwork and overwhelm are everywhere. Speaking to those in the medical profession lately I was told that these are the most common complaints leading to exhaustion and sick leave. As a friend…
Acts 13:14, 43-52 Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5 Rv 7:9, 14b-17 Jn 10:27-30 Are we listening? This week’s Gospel from John offers this simple, matter-of-fact statement from Jesus: “My sheep hear my voice.” That idea of hearing also crops up in the first reading, from Acts, which reminds us how the people of Antioch responded…
A Benedictine monk shared this story with me. During his early years in religious life, he had been resentful because he was required to ask permission from his abbott if he wanted anything: “I thought it was silly, me, a grown man, an adult, having to ask a superior if I wanted a new shirt.…
The Sunday Gospel Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41 Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13 Rv 5:11-14 Jn 21:1-19 How often do we return to the familiar places we know so well, the places we have visited many times before, whether to rest or escape from life’s overwhelming problems? Whenever I return to my little town in Poland,…
Acts 10:34a, 37-43 Ps 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Col 3:1-4 OR 1 Cor 5:6b-8 Jn 20:1-9 My good friend recently shared a story about a man he met in a Brazilian prison nearly 30 years ago. Sentenced for a crime he indeed committed, he had little hope of an early release and regaining his freedom.…
The belief that we are created in the image of God does not mean that he has brown hair, blue eyes, or the body of a rugby player. It is the ability to reason, writes Peter Kasko. We are creatures of habit, and as such, we sometimes operate on autopilot. What I mean is, we…
What’s the point of all these penances? Well, in fact, they’re pointless – on their own, that is! With faith, however, all our Lent penances acquire a special power. Why do Christians fast? The name gives it away: we fast because Christ fasted. When you fast with faith, you are really, spiritually with Christ in…
Normally none of us likes feeling sad, heavy, or depressed. Generally, we prefer sunshine to darkness, light-heartedness to melancholy. That’s why we tend to do everything we can to distract ourselves from melancholy, to keep heaviness and sadness at bay. Mostly, we run from feelings that sadden or frighten us. For the most part, we…
You may still remember, Dear Reader, the formula you were taught while preparing yourself for the First Holy Confession. Although it’s been a long time since that day, I still clearly remember mine: “My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good,…
Q: I am a longstanding vegan, so when Lent comes each year there’s nothing for me to skip; no meat is already my regular routine. But at age 70, and even if I wasn’t vegan, is it true that seniors are no longer bound by Lenten fasting and abstinence requirements? A: The short answer is…
Fr John McCarthy
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Fr Dominik Domagala