COLUMNS

A reflection on fear, piety

Some years ago, a woman shared this story at a workshop. She had a six year-old son whom she had conscientiously schooled in prayer. Among other things, she made him kneel beside his bed every night and say aloud a number of prayers, ending with an invocation to “bless mummy, …

Good is created through the power of words

“They make books about everything.”An astute observation from a pint-sized shopper in a local book store took the words right out of my mouth. This place used to be a frequent haunt for me, a writer who loves the smell of coffee and a cocoon of books.

Love, marriage and pizza delivery

It should come as no surprise that the story of how the Domino’s Pizza founder met his wife involves pizza. But indulge me in the details.

Imagine that God is speaking

Imagine that God is speaking to you directly. What would he say?

When walking on water, faith is answer to doubt

When my children were young each of them had a favorite TV show they would be content to watch over and over again.

Detours are tools in God's arsenal of spiritual growth

Detours – it’s amazing how something so frustrating can be so fruitful.

God desires that we become messengers of joy in all seasons

In this column I am going to try to reduce the New Testament to a few hundred words. Are you with me? Here goes.

'Three Rs plus one'-- A formula for the memory and meaning of education for Catholic students

As a young boy growing up, there were three words I dreaded to hear once August rolled around: “Back to School!”

Platitudes are no substitute for the words of truth

“The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63Can I tell you just how often I become frustrated with platitudes, motivational tomes and the often trite “wisdom” of self-empowerment gurus? 

The Light of Christ never goes out

One of the most memorable experiences of our family was the two weeks we spent driving across country to Montana with our best friends and their children. We called it the “15 for the road” trip, 11 children and four adults packed into a nine passenger station wagon and an …

The slow, imperceptible march of goodness

God writes straight with crooked lines. That axiom sounds clever, but is there real truth or depth to it? Can good ever really arise out of evil? Do love, truth, and justice ever work out through hatred, lies, and injustice? Do crooked lines really straighten?

A wake-up call, until you don't wake up

We don't know the day or the hour when our time on earth will end. Is there not an appointed time for man's existence on earth to end? Job asked.

Saints with a little 's'

November is one of my favorite months. It begins with two special days, All Saints on Nov. 1 and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls), on Nov. 2. These two days of prayer and remembrance begins the Month of the Dead … November.

Unwrapping a gift from 'Things My Parents Taught Me'

A mother never knows just how much attention her children are paying to her, but every once in a while she discovers they know her better than she thinks they do.

Waiting for a baby: on Advent and adoption

For years folks told Mike and Maria Slavik that their blue colonial-style house looked like a Christmas card. Maria would be out mowing the lawn in the middle of July and someone would stop to say he loved the way it was decorated for the holidays. So they decided to …


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