With all of the traveling that I do, sometimes my calendar can get a little crazy. I’ve gotten better at it, but I can remember some times when I asked myself, “What was I thinking when I said yes to this?” In parish life, we do this all the time. Even when we have calendaring meetings that should remove such conflicts, we still sometimes find ourselves overbooked and unable to devote time and energy to […]
Recently, Pope Francis made some very interesting comments about evangelization and catechesis. In particular, he said that catechesis needs to go beyond just the “scholastic sphere” and lead people to an encounter with Christ. I’m thrilled to hear him talk about this because, as important as familiarity with doctrinal concepts is, it means nothing unless we have a relationship with the living Christ. Catechesis needs to speak to both the head and the heart. In […]
On my way to work each day, as I ride the train from the south side to the north side of Chicago, I see a variety of storefronts advertising spiritual wellness—places to nurture one’s body, mind, and spirit in order to achieve serenity and calmness as well as answers to life’s questions. They offer Reiki, meditative breathing, yoga, guided meditation, acupuncture, Chakra balancing, sweat lodge ceremonies, healing circles, tarot cards, and spiritual classes. While they […]
This Sunday’s Gospel, for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B (June 14, 2015) is about the Parable of the Mustard Seed and includes the line, “He did not say anything to them without using a parable.” (Mark 4:34) Jesus’ use of stories/parables was not just some quaint medium of a simpler time. Even today, experts tell us that if we want to convey a message and have it spread, we should put it into […]
In just a few short weeks, we will be celebrating Father’s Day in the United States. In many ways, we seem to be at a loss as to how to honor dads on Father’s Day in our parishes. On Mother’s Day, we might present a rose to moms as they enter, do a special blessing, and perhaps have some moms offer reflections on motherhood at Mass. For Father’s Day, we tend to take a parallel […]
I recently came across a good article from a good Web site written by a good resource (someone you should know). The article, “Setting the Stage for Evangelizing Parents,” is written by Patrice Spirou, the Assistant Director of Religious Education for the Office of Formation and Discipleship in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. I had the pleasure of meeting Patrice when I was in Atlanta not too long ago and even had the opportunity to enjoy sitting […]
I posted recently about two issues that have made a connection for me: Singing as an Expression of Faith and my Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola. While on the pilgrimage at our stop in Avila, I encountered a group of pilgrims in the town square joyfully singing hymns and clapping their hands, a scene I have encountered before from groups of different ethnicities. On the next bus ride, I lamented to my […]
When journalists report, listeners or readers want to know the source of the information and whether or not those sources are reliable. When it comes to religion, it helps to know the source of the information we are being asked to embrace as the truth. For Catholics, we identify our source as Scripture and Tradition—not two sources, but one single source that comes to us in two ways. Scripture, of course, is the written Word […]
As I mentioned earlier this month, I had the privilege of enjoying a pilgrimage to Spain and Rome to follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. I can’t thank Loyola Press enough for making this sacred journey possible! Here are some pics I took that help to capture the essence of the dramatic story of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my frustration with regards to not finding the “secret formula” to attracting adults to faith formation. I was tickled to receive the following e-mail from a good friend of mine who has been a catechetical leader for years and is one of the smartest people I know: To tell the truth, I’m sort of glad you didn’t find some secret I’ve missed my whole career. Because I would […]
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