Perspective Archive

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Perspective

To rest is to be human

“Workaholic,” “productive,” “unstoppable,” “24/7,” “busy bee,” “overachiever,” etc. These words and expressions, and others similar, have come to be omnipresent in our everyday vocabulary. We often feel proud when identified […]

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A more human society

Roe and the legacy of abortion

On Friday, June 24, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992) and, by implication, a long line of abortion decisions relying on them. […]

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Perspective

While invisible, God can be seen in 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, […]

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Perspective

Appreciating good homilies

Here’s an answer that should show up on Catholic Jeopardy: “Eight minutes.” The question is: “What does Pope Francis think the ideal length of a homily should be?” This pope, […]

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Perspective

A meditation on honor

Back in 2014, I celebrated one of the most remarkable funerals of my 30-plus years as a priest. With the body present, I sang a Requiem Mass for a man […]

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Perspective

Dobbs, Roe and the true fact of life 

For almost three generations of Americans, abortion has been not only a constitutional right but a fact of life. On June 24, 2022, the facts of life changed. In voting […]

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Perspective

God is the source of strength and hope for His people

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 The Book of Isaiah is the source of the first reading. In reading the Book of Isaiah, as in reading any Scripture, […]

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Perspective

Freedom from slavery to sin is found in Christ

Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Luke 9:51-62 The First Book of Kings is the source of this weekend’s first reading. As the names of these two volumes imply, First and Second […]

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Perspective

A tale of two weddings

How do we attract people to our Church? How do we invite people to “come and see”? These are questions being asked with greater urgency these days. The “nones,” that […]

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Perspective

Rumors are circulating that Pope Francis might resign. How to react?

Over the course of his nine-plus years as pontiff, Pope Francis has strongly and consistently spoken about the sin of gossip. It is “an act of terrorism, akin to dropping […]

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Perspective

Treasuring our future timelines

Twenty-nine-year-old Dom Brand of South Carolina, in an apparently random act in 2020, shot and killed an 80-year-old woman named Mary Ann Elvington. His action resulted in several tragedies unfolding […]

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Perspective

Christ’s love revealed through the Eucharist

Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ Luke 9:11-17 This weekend the Church celebrates the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, as it was […]