Perspective
‘Ordinary Time’
Welcome to the wearing of the green, green vestments that is. The weeks of the year outside of seasons such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter are termed “ordinary time.” […]
Perspective Archive
Perspective
Did I Make the Right Choices as Dad was Dying?
Sometimes people will contact the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) wondering if the decisions they made on behalf of a dying family member were the right ones. The NCBC provides […]
Perspective
In Finding Jesus, We Find God
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time John 1:29-34 The Book of Isaiah furnishes this weekend’s first reading from the Scriptures. Relief and joy uplifted the atmosphere. Hopes centered upon a bright […]
Perspective
Praying To God of the Sick When You’re Sick-of-Being-Sick
Here is a story that every family I know can tell: all of us have been sick … for a long, long time. In the past few months, our household […]
Perspective
What Pope Benedict XVI Taught Us About Dying Well
What does it mean to die well? The end, it’s inevitable for all of us. When, we don’t know. How, we don’t know. Where, we don’t know. But we know […]
Perspective
Farewell To Pope Benedict
One of the most consequential churchmen of the last hundred years has died. Pope Benedict XVI (formerly Joseph Ratzinger) leaves a remarkable legacy in both the Church he served and […]
Perspective
Who Were These Magi Driven by the Wish to Know God?
Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord Matthew 2:1-12 This weekend, the Church celebrates the ancient Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, commemorating, and reflecting upon, the visit of […]
Perspective
A Season of Change, A Time of Hope
There are a lot of joys about being a grandparent, but for starters, it lets us relive those first months and years of being a parent. We’ve got a lot […]
Perspective
God Became a Baby
There is just something about a baby. If a baby is introduced into a crowded room, everyone will want to see him. Conversations will stop, smiles will spread across people’s […]
Perspective
A New Year’s Habit
As one does at this time of year, I opened a new 2023 calendar and started flipping through the months to mark a few upcoming events. In the process, I […]
Perspective
Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
THE OCTAVE DAY OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD Luke 2:16-21 The Book of Numbers provides the first reading. It is the fourth book, in sequence, of the first five […]
Perspective
He, the Eternal Light of the World, is Born
Feast of the Birth of Our Lord John 1:1-18 The third section of Isaiah supplies the first lesson. To understand the reading, it helps to be aware of the historical […]