Columns
In the Darkness of the Garden, He Calls Our Name
It was a little past 5 in the morning when I was jarred awake by a wet tongue licking my nose. We were dog-sitting our daughter’s pit bull, and […]
Columns
Lent Is Not Punishment; It Is Invitation
At Mass on Ash Wednesday, the holy Communion line was down to its last person. Suddenly, a young woman hurried down the aisle just as the priest was turning back […]
Columns
Lessons From a Birmingham Jail
In April 1963, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. sat in jail in Birmingham, Alabama. Famously committed to nonviolence, King was arrested after leading a peaceful march of Black protesters […]
Columns
The Joy of Simplifying
A few years ago, Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant, established a career by encouraging people to declutter. “What gives me joy?” she told us to ask ourselves. If it […]
Columns
Thin Places in November
Walking around my neighborhood this fall, I saw many skeletons. Bones seemed to protrude from every lawn. One evening, taking a walk in the encroaching darkness, a skeleton I hadn’t […]
Columns
Silence in a Noisy World
We live in a noisy world. I’m not just talking about rush hour traffic or the planes that make an approach to the Philadelphia airport far above my head at […]
Perspective
God’s Dazzling Creation
Glancing out my window on a dusky evening, I’m startled to see a huge bird perching on my neighbor’s garage, just a few yards away. What at first appears to […]
Perspective
Look for the Helpers – and Be One Yourself
(OSV News) – A favorite quote of mine comes from Fred Rogers, the children’s television personality. He shared how his mom would comfort him when he was a frightened child. […]
Perspective
Rain and Tears: The Lessons Learned in Lent
(OSV News) – The morning sky is gray and my favorite window for prayer is rain-streaked. Rain is welcome. We’ve experienced drought, and there are wildfires nearby. And yet, there’s […]
Perspective
A Random Guy Walks into a Bar
(OSV NEWS) – So, a random guy walks into a bar. No, this isn’t the beginning of a joke. For me, it’s a Lenten meditation. A friend of mine tends […]
Perspective
On the Journey Toward Sainthood
He was an energetic farm boy from rural Wisconsin, walking daily to a one-room country schoolhouse where a single teacher taught all eight grades. Later, when James Miller taught high […]
Perspective
Finding Gratitude in What is Given
One morning, I was half-listening to National Public Radio as I quickly prepared for an appointment. Into the shower, grab the coffee, find the toothbrush, and in the midst of […]