The richness of any religion is that it is more than a set of doctrines, beliefs, and practices; it also provides a cultural framework by which we can view and make sense of the world.  How we make this sense manifests itself in a variety of ways, including through art.  In fact, the cultural influence of religion can remain even when one decides to leave its practice or reject its tenants.  Scholars refer to it as the religious imagination.  In American Catholic Arts and Fictions Paul Giles writes that this imagination serves “as a residual cultural determinant and one asp ..read more

From a young age, I always saw the world through a scientific lens. I needed to understand how the world works. When I attended college, that way of thinking applied to research papers and ensuring I had logical and concise arguments to articulate my interpretation of a historical event. When I read the Gospel of John there is a logical flow to his account of the Gospel events. His entire gospel is masterfully written and laden with tons of symbolism. As a cradle Catholic, I heard John 6 [Jesus’ Bread of Life Discourse] preached frequently during the Mass. It took years of analyzing this ..read more

 Each and Every Creature is Connected! We are all on a journey of awakening.  People of faith and good will are called to: Encounter, Accompany, Learn, and Listen as we move towards awakened hearts and minds.    I choose to focus on listening because in my context this is most challenging. Since COVID I have intentionally set up listening sessions for families/ students to share what is on their hearts.    In Pastoral Youth Ministry there are sounds everywhere and expressions being broadcasted from every corner- Billy Ellish, Fortnight, Band, Minecraft, Tik Tok, a ..read more

If you’re like me, there seems to be a real disconnect between the solemnity of Pentecost and the swift change immediately into Ordinary Time. (Thankfully, Pope Francis gave us a little buffer with the memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church). But still, going from the imagery of fire, water, tongues, and brilliant shades of red back to “normal” in the course of 24 hours is a little too much for me to process. Previously, there used to be an octave for Pentecost (8 days of celebration, as for Christmas and Easter), but in the new calendar Ordinary Time begins right away.  While we could ce ..read more

The vocation of the baptized is to become holy – that is, to accept the invitation into the Trinitarian communion, to be conformed to Christ and to introduce others to the God who loves us all so deeply. This is a weighty task, and one that can seem overwhelming to us, and for which we can feel unqualified and out of our depth. Yet God doesn’t look at our “expertise” but at our faithfulness and trust in Him. If we surrender ourselves to Him and pray to know our purpose, our particular giftedness, we’ll become His witnesses to the world. Most of us won’t draw hundreds or thousands to conversion ..read more

Though we celebrate the liturgy of the Eucharist everyday at Mass, there is a tendency to get complacent.  Have we taken this great gift of Christ for granted?  This seems to be our human nature, because if we do something enough we tend to go through the motions.  I have the feeling that this has happened to many with the Eucharist.  During these strange times we have not been able to have this gift.  With public Masses beginning to resume, it is important to remember how great of a gift it truly is. We have all been forced to take a step back and take a moment to re ..read more

And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Revelation 21:5 As our time of COVID19 quarantine continues, the vision of a post-COVID19 world becomes more and more a mystery. While we hear that people are anxious to get back to normal, there seems to be a consensus that what awaits is a “new normal”, one that has not yet become clear. Hope is essential in the face of this unknown. Like that of His disciples, our Christian hope comes first and foremost from our intimate relationship with Jesus. It is the hope that God’s will be done. God’s will is, of course, for us to b ..read more

The global crisis and collective confinement that we are living through gives us much to consider. Perhaps one of the most encouraging phenomena that we’ve seen during this time has been the appearance of animals in times and places they don’t usually show themselves, and the sights of unpolluted and vibrant bays, rivers and skies. To see jellyfish passing through Venice’s sparkling canals and deer roaming through Japan’s urban streets, just to name two verified examples, is a ray of hope in the midst of tragic situation we face around the world. Perhaps it gives us a sense of relief to think ..read more

Jesus said: “Woe to you, scribes and religious leaders, you hypocrites. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! “Woe to you, scribes and religious leaders, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind leaders, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” MT 23:23-26 Cleanse the Cu ..read more

“Morning after morning he wakens my ear to hear as disciples do.” -Manuel Aliaga I serve as a Lector in my parish, which has a large immigrant population.  A couple of days ago—Palm Sunday—at the Spanish noon Mass, I was charged with proclaiming the first reading, from the book of Isaiah (50:4-9)—which this year is also Holy Wednesday’s first reading. “The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to answer the weary, a word that will waken them.” As I was reading before the assembly, a thought flashed across my mind, thinking of all of those unfamiliar faces who, this ..read more