For the better part of 500 years, the twin arches at the entrance to the monastic city of Glendalough denoted ‘sanctuary’: Once you reached this gateway, enemies were required to cease their pursuit.
Today’s find: Sanctuary
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Advent, First Sunday of Advent, First Week of Advent, Glendalough, Isaiah, Maranatha, Sanctuary
Today’s find: Thanksgiving
Our family feast welcomes a fresh new face this Thanksgiving… grandson Francis…who, at ten-weeks-old, promises to present precious little competition for the grown-ups as we lunge after a second helping of roast turkey and stuffing.
And for that, we are thankful. 😉
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Birthday Caper, Feast, Grandson, Psalm 100, Slieve League, Thanksgiving
Today’s find: Turning a New Leaf
For much of the past several weeks, the fall foliage has been disappointing in my neck of the woods. Drab, feckless—unfettering premature impressions of decay.
The perfect autumnal display, perhaps, to reflect my mood following the recent election season.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Autumn, Christ The King, Decision 2016, Election season, Fall Foliage, Jubilee Year of Mercy, New leaf, Turning a new leaf, Year of Mercy
Today’s find: Into the black
When November rolled around this year, a new liturgical accent made a startling appearance in the sanctuary at my parish: A black altar banner.
I say ‘startling’, because black is a liturgical color we don’t tend to see very often in Catholic churches these days.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Black vestments, Dark energy, Dark matter, End of days, End times
Today’s find: Place of grace
The ornate ironwork and richly carved hardwood panels left no doubt: This mansion had long been home to the very best that life has to offer—abundance and riches well beyond what my middle-class circumstances could ever envision.
And so I found it ironic, to say the least, that our tour guide was a Franciscan nun—a woman joyfully living out her vow of poverty at her community’s Motherhouse in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Today’s find: Go Cubs go
Sometimes, I find insights into God’s great mercy in the strangest of situations.
Take the Chicago Cubs, for instance.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Chicago Cubs, Parable of Lost Coins, Rally Squirrel, St. Louis Cardinals, World Series 2016
Today’s find: Among the (living) Saints
I’m quite sure my buddy Jim had no intention of sounding like a Holy Elder when our paths crossed on the church parking lot…just as 6:30 Mass was letting out this morning.
‘Who ARE all these people?’ he grumbled, half-kiddingly. ‘And why are they getting in my way?’
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: All Saints Day, Blood of the Lamb, Revelation, Solemnity of All Saints
Today’s find: Sizeable
‘How Big Is Your God?’ asked Paul Coutinho provocatively in his spiritual best-seller a few years ago.
And this weekend, we get an answer of sorts.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Book of Wisdom, Cephei, Coutinho, Gospel of Luke, StarDate, VV Cephei, Zacchaeus
Today’s find: Unbound
What do you think she noticed first, the woman who for 18 years had been ‘bent over, completely incapable of standing erect’? What did she see…as she straightened her spine and looked into the eyes of the One who had just cured her infirmity?
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Crippled Woman, Gospel of Luke, Kairos Prison Ministry
Today’s find: Immersed
Grandson Francis and I have at least this much in common: We know when we’re surrounded by love.
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Cookies For Kairos, Ephesians, Grandson, Immersion, Kairos Prison Ministry
With Us Still 