Columns Archive

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Columns

4 Things I Learned from My First Month of Going to Daily Mass

  It was a quiet Saturday afternoon. I found myself in my parish’s chapel, yelling at God, angry at Him for calling a dear friend to move away. Between tirades […]

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Columns

Like Lazarus, Christ Will Raise Us All if We Devoutly Follow Him

Fifth Sunday of Lent The Book of Ezekiel provides the first reading for this weekend. Even a quick reading of the history of ancient Israel shows that there were precious […]

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Columns

Baptism Isn’t Merely a Symbolic Gesture

On this Fifth Sunday of Lent, because we are in year A, the whole Church will hear the Gospel reading of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus. This […]

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Columns

What We’re Becoming: AI and the Future of Human Dignity

There’s a Substack I’ve been reading lately called Metatrends, run by Peter Diamandis and his team. They’re tracking AI’s exponential growth with the breathless optimism tech futurists are known for. […]

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Columns

We Must Stay Humble and Recognize Our Need for God

Fourth Sunday of Lent Drawing from the first word, in Latin, in the entrance antiphon for this weekend’s liturgy, this Sunday long has been called Laetare Sunday. Laetare means “to rejoice.” The Church […]

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Columns

Is Our Nation Losing Its Soul?

U.S. bishops are speaking up about the treatment of immigrants and the deportation strategy and tactics of the current administration, and their messaging has grown increasingly urgent and concerned. What […]

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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 […]

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Columns

This Lent, Be Reminded of the Wellspring of Mercy Offered by God

Third Sunday of Lent The source of the first biblical reading for this Lenten weekend’s liturgies is the Book of Exodus, one of the five books of the Bible regarded […]

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Columns

How Our Bodies Cooperate in God’s Plan for Salvation

Often as spiritual people, we put all our focus on our souls, that immortal part of ourselves that longs for union with God. We are right to lead with the […]

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Columns

Second by Second, Turning Toward the Sun

The older I get, the more I appreciate the math of meteorology. Something has shifted in me, and now I’m all ears when my retired neighbor rattles off numbers from […]

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Columns

In the Footsteps of St. Oscar Romero in El Salvador

  When I heard that an upcoming mission trip for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers was going to be to El Salvador, I didn’t hesitate to sign up immediately. I […]

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Columns

Lenten Lessons from Pope Leo

Pope Leo XIV’s first Lenten message is a great gift for those looking for a road map to the season. Reading the communication – his first such as pontiff – […]