Calls can come in strange ways—or so the casting of lots may seem to us. Not so for the believers of the time. What really speaks to me most is…

Consider, for a moment, the people in whose presence your heart stops racing, those beside whom you feel centered and serene; the ones in whose company the orbit of your…

Thanks to the restoration of Easter Vigil baptism in many of our churches, our dominant understanding of baptism in our catechesis and liturgical celebrations is that of death and burial…

Today’s Gospel is one in a series of post-resurrection appearances of Jesus that nearly always follow a similar pattern. The risen Jesus appears quite unexpectedly—on the shore, in the garden,…

English speakers have adopted the German Schadenfreude to name the enjoyment (Freude) we derive from other’s struggles and misfortune (Schaden). I’m ashamed that I occasionally experience this vicious delight at…

I’ve profited greatly from a book called The Joy of Being Wrong by the theologian James Alison. After ten years of spiritual direction, I’ve never heard such a succinct and…

With the emphasis during Lent on the Sacraments of Initiation and the welcoming of new members, the Liturgy of the Word during the last three weeks emphasizes themes of healing…

In recent decades, science has unveiled an amazing finding: Fetal cells and DNA from a growing baby can be found in a mother’s body not only during but well after…

The Prodigal Son has the makings of a soap opera—selfishness, blatant disrespect, wanton dissipation, jealousy, resentment, and alienation. No wonder Scripture scholar Luke Timothy Johnson calls this parable a virtual…

My father converted to Catholicism when I was in the third grade. I remember how proud I was and eager to help. After all, I had three years studying Catholicism…