When I go swimming at the health club, diving into the pool is always a bit of a shock to my system. Once my body adjusts to the water temperature, however, I gradually begin to enjoy the buoyancy that results in a “lightness of being” that is renewing. This Lent, I invite you to “dive into” the 40 days in much the same way. At first, the change in climate can be a bit of […]
Did you talk about Christmas traditions with your group this year? Here, Julianne Stanz talks about two Irish holiday traditions. If Julianne’s Braving the Thin Places wasn’t in your stocking, get your copy here.
Scripture tells us that, when Jesus was born, the angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.” (Luke 2:13–14) In fact, in many of our Christmas carols, we sing of peace: “Sleep in heavenly peace.” (“Silent Night”) “And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth.” (“O Little Town of Bethlehem”) “His law is love and His gospel is peace.” (“O Holy […]
From time to time on social media, we come across stories and videos of dramatic rescues (such as this one). In such situations, people who are incapable of saving themselves turn to first responders who intervene and save them from danger. This is the definition of a savior: someone who rescues another who is incapable of saving him- or herself. Aside from physical dangers, we encounter other realities in life from which we are incapable […]
Years ago, a TV commercial effectively used Carly Simon’s song, “Anticipation” to accompany images of thick, rich ketchup slowly making its way to the opening of the bottle before being generously slathered on mouthwatering burgers and crispy French fries while a voice says, “Think of how good it’s gonna taste when it finally gets there!” The commercials ended with the claim that this ketchup has “the taste worth waiting for.” I can’t help but think […]
With the season of Advent soon upon us, I want to share about a great Advent tradition that you can do as a family: the making of a Jesse tree. The Jesse tree, named after the father of King David, helps us to connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events in our salvation history that lead to Jesus’ birth. It is, in essence, Jesus’ family tree. We adorn a Jesse tree with […]
In most sports, the playing calendar calls for a training season, a regular season, and a playoff season. The training season is focused on refining the skills needed for the regular season. The playoff season is the climax of the season’s competition, with the ultimate goal of achieving a championship. That leaves us with the regular season: the long stretch of time when players and teams are called to put their skills into practice on […]
One of the most misunderstood concepts regarding the Church’s liturgical year is Ordinary Time. We tend to think of certain seasons of the Church year as special: Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter. These seasons are indeed special. However, Ordinary Time is not referring to a season in which nothing special is happening. In fact, the Scripture readings teach us that there is nothing ordinary about Ordinary Time. Aware of God’s presence and continuing love, the […]
All Christians are called to be a “Resurrection People,” and that means that in our thoughts, words, and actions, we are to embody and exemplify hope and joy and to share that with others, especially those experiencing despair. For this reason, the 50 days of Easter provide a wonderful opportunity for us to practice the Spiritual Works of Mercy—acts of compassion by which we help our neighbors with their emotional and spiritual needs. In a […]
If, for some reason, authorities had to put out a description of me, it would say that Joe Paprocki is a white male with blue eyes, stands six feet tall, and weighs about 200 pounds. Except for some slight variations (I’d love if the weight were 190!), that information will remain the same as long as I’m alive. These are, more or less, permanent traits that identify me. The Easter season reminds us that one […]
Copyright © 2006-2023 Loyola Press. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Loyola Press is expressly prohibited.