Finding peace in a worrisome world (Ordinary Times)
Scripture overflows with invitations to be at peace and cast anxiety aside.
Category: Columns
Cardinal Tobin reflects on the spiritual gifts of Padre Pio
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, During the two decades that I had a Roman address, I shared community life with missionaries who hailed from thirty or more different countries. This hodgepodge of priests and … Learn More
We owe our ancestors in faith (Ordinary Times)
In September, the Catholic University community gathered for our annual Mass of the Holy Spirit to mark the start of the new academic year. I prayed for my students and … Learn More
The best is yet to come
Robert Browning, John Lennon and Pope Francis. What could a Victorian-era poet, a 20th century rock star and a 21st century pope possibly have in common? Well, I recently discovered … Learn More
Synod listening sessions express gratitude and concerns of diverse individuals and communities
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Pope Francis has issued an invitation to the whole Church to gather and listen to the Holy Spirit in prayer, sharing, and discernment to … Learn More
In the new school year, keep Sundays sacred (Ordinary Times)
Whenever someone asks how I am, one of my most frequent replies is: “Good, but busy.” That is rarely more true than it is in September’s back-to-school season. For those whose lives … Learn More
May we all learn to be brothers and sisters to all
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Religion and violence ought to be totally incompatible, but as we all know, they too often feed off one another in ways that … Learn More
Blessed to have loving navigators (Ordinary Times)
“Navigating home,” she said in that assertive, mechanical voice of a well-used GPS system. She calculated the way that would route the car homeward, chiming in from time to time to … Learn More
Staying close to Mary, mother of Jesus, our mother
On Monday, August 15, we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. In the Byzantine Liturgy, Troparion, Feast of the Dormition, August 15th, the … Learn More
A warm welcome in ordinary time
I was visiting a parish not my own when a young girl of about five greeted me. With a shy smile and the quiet encouragement of her mother, she handed … Learn More