Perspective
The summer reading list
Continuing a venerable tradition, I offer the following for your canicular reading pleasure: John Hay spent decades at the center of American public life as Lincoln’s secretary and biographer, a […]
Columns Archive
Perspective
How far is too far?
How far would you drive for Mass? I don’t know if anyone has ever done a study of such a pedestrian topic, but it is a question that will become […]
The Sunday Gospel
No one is beyond God’s love
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10:25-37 The Book of Deuteronomy, the source of the first reading for this weekend, is one of the first five books of the Bible, […]
The Sunday Gospel
The Lord gives us the strength to be truly free
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 The first reading is from the third section of Isaiah. The three sections of this book, so favored over the years by […]
Perspective
‘God wants me to be happy’
A reflection on a deeply flawed moral stance One of the questionable, and unfortunately common, forms of moral reasoning today is the rather narcissistic notion that God wants each of us […]
Perspective
How to accept criticism: a spiritual exercise
More than 19 million people tuned in to watch the final episode of “Game of Thrones” May 19, making it the most viewed show to ever air on HBO. Yet […]
Perspective
A Year in the Eternal City
It’s hard to believe, but almost a year has passed since I last saw my beautiful homeland (the United States) and came to Europe. A lot has changed in that […]
Bishop's Column: In Truth and Charity
‘Truth is a condition for authentic freedom’
Happy Fourth of July! As we celebrate our nation’s independence, I invite you to reflect on the meaning of freedom from the perspective of our faith. We heard about freedom […]
The Sunday Gospel
God wants to give eternal life to everyone
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 9:51-62 The first reading for this weekend’s liturgy is from the First Book of Kings. While the focus, at least in terms of the […]
The Sunday Gospel
The Lord feeds us, in abundance, through the Eucharist
Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Luke 9:11b-17 This weekend the Church celebrates the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, as […]
Perspective
Suppose we let the people decide
In May, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Franchise Tax Board of California v. Hyatt that states have sovereign immunity from suits brought by individuals in the courts of another […]
Perspective
Back in the days of giants
I would like to tell you about a very special physician who roamed the halls of St. Joseph, Lutheran and Parkview hospitals years ago. His name is Dr. Michael Mastrangelo. […]