I READ AN OBITUARY a woman had written for herself before she died of cystic fibrosis at 44 years old. Her words were ones of gratitude for a full and meaningful life, satisfying work, long, loving friendships. I’m sure she had suffered great pain during her lifetime, and she, like all of us, had had some very bad days. But in the end, bitterness had no place in her final act . . .  More...

CERTAIN IMAGES inspire wonder. They’re powerful beyond the simple contents of the scene. Think of the photo of the New York firefighters planting a tattered flag in the rubble of the World Trade Center towers. That image is likely to touch every heart. Certain images are powerful because they speak to a deeper place in us than words alone can do. In the nativity . . .  More...

THIS WEEK I almost fell into the clutches of the devil, and let me tell you, it was scary. I was driving down by the freeway where they’re doing road construction, and they had this long, open trench dug by the side of the roadway with about 15 workers standing around, leaning on their shovels, looking into it. The only place they gave you for your car was this skinny little strip . . .  More...

A FEW YEARS AGO a woman was standing outside a church in New York City, hesitating about whether to go inside. Her name was Elaine Pagels, and she was a brilliant historian at Princeton University. Though her specialty was the history of ancient Christianity, it had been years since she herself had gone to church. Now she was in a desperate frame of mind . . .  More...

AS I HAVE DONE, so you must do.” . . . “Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes!” . . . . “This day shall be a memorial feast for you . . . as a perpetual institution.” Rarely does scripture gather itself so sharply around one idea: the handing on of a memory. Each reading is addressed to someone who will be . . .  More...

THE PORTRAITS OF THE ASCENSION I like most are the ones that begin and end with Jesus’ feet. Of course the heads of the disciples gather at the bottom of the frame, staring upward with open mouths. But all we see of Jesus are his feet disappearing at the top edge of the picture. His great exit is in process, and all that will be left behind is the advice of a couple of angels.  More...

TALK ABOUT an exclusive job description! Only two people in the history of salvation are called “blessed”: Abraham, the father of nations, and Mary, the mother of the church. They are two such different figures that the comparison seems amazing, almost suspect. What does the famous founder of the Jewish and Islamic nations, one of the greatest figures . . .  More...

DARKNESS, DAWN, A FAINT GLOW on the horizon—the first hour of the first day of the week. At the tomb Mary Magdalene was confused, frightened—the stone had been rolled away. When he arrived Peter was amazed. Hollywood would say, “This is the first day of the rest of their lives.” No, this is the first day of a new era, an era of light and life and love. Jesus came again . . .  More...

WHO AMONG US HERE this evening has not walked in darkness? We have known the darkness of fearful world events. We have known the darkness of our own pettiness. We have known the darkness of grasping when we should have held tenderly. We have known the darkness of broken promises —our own and others. We have known the darkness of unfulfilled dreams . . .  More...

ON THIS NIGHT, some 2,000 years ago, the world held its breath and waited. Down the centuries and through countless messengers, God had uttered promises to the chosen people of Israel. We heard many of these promises proclaimed in the readings tonight: the promise of goodness and holiness, the promise of rescue from the waters, the promise of redemption . . .  More...

“MATTTER IS ANYTHING that has mass and takes up space.” We learn that fundamental definition of the physical universe in grade school. For those of us who like to keep up on the latest scientific discoveries, we also know that matter has yet to be completely defined. First we thought all matter was made up of molecules; then atoms; then particles; then protons, neutrons . . .  More...

I KISS YOUR MOTHER!” (ljubi maiku!) is a delightful expression Bosnian fathers use to praise their children. It means “I kiss your mother because you are such a wonderful child!” or, in other words, “My compliments to your mother!” It’s similar to the praise Jesus received by those awed by his ministry: “Blessed is the womb that carried you!” Mothers often receive praise . . .  More...

Welcome to Lent! On this Ash Wednesday, some of us have the custom of wishing one another a "good Lent." Why good? Shouldn't we be wishing one another a solemn or serious or remorseful Lent? Maybe we should, but it is entirely appropriate to extend this good wish to others. Lent is good. It's good because it focuses us on what is most important. Every year Lent invites . . .  More...

Nine readings. Nine of them. And that’s not counting the meditations we sang between them—and the homily you have to sit through now. It’s a lot to take in, but I hope you were and are able to listen, because one of the most important things we hear is the call to listen and respond to God’s words. We have to admit we hear some terrifying things. In the beginning . . .  More...

An eager young man came to Socrates and said, "Teacher, I want very much to be one of your students." He replied, "Come," took the lad over to a barrel full of water, and said, "Look into the water—tell me what you see." The young man looked and said, "I see nothing but water." "Look again!" said Socrates. When he did, the old man thrust the student's face into the water . . .  More...

ONE OF MY FAVORITE STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS, certainly one of the more memorable, is in the church where I served as a deacon intern a quarter century ago. The window depicts the apostles standing around a large rock that has two very clear footprints improbably imbedded in its surface. Their heads are all turned upward in that unusual tilt peculiar to stained-glass . . .  More...

THROUGH MARY TO JESUS. This simple phrase holds the key to the church's honoring of Mary, and to the fact that the ultimate focus of devotion to Mary is Jesus Christ. Mary, in the words of the document with which Pope Pius XII declared the doctrine of Mary's Assumption in 1950, is "intimately joined to her divine Son." In a real way, the world comes to Jesus . . .  More...

JAMES AGEE took the title for his Depression-era classic, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, from a passage in the Book of Sirach (44:1). It is an ironic title, since Agee's book describes some of the poorest and least consequential people of his time—white sharecroppers in Alabama. But those who read Agee's book with care can see that it is not simply a sociological exposé . . .  More...

A CHRISTMAS PRESENT arrived in the mail a couple of days ago. The return address simply says, "Santa Claus, North Pole." The handwriting isn't recognizable, so it could be from anybody. It's a medium-sized box, not too heavy, but not too light either. I can't really tell what's inside of it. It's not in the shape of a CD or a book or a box of socks, usually dead giveaways . . .  More...

EPIPHANY: It means "a manifestation of God." In today's language, we use this word to describe an "aha moment"-a fleeting glimpse of insight in the midst of the everyday thoughts that come and go.In Matthew's beloved tale of the three astrologers from the East, we travel to Bethlehem in search of the child who would save us all. The beautiful truth contained  . . .  More...

THERE'S A BIT of irony in the gospel reading for Ash Wednesday. Jesus warns us, "Do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues . . . so that others may see them." Well, here we are: praying in front of each other in a church, where "others may see us." Soon we'll get ashes on our foreheads, and everybody who sees us for the rest of the day . . .  More...

LAST WORDS come hard. The dying, often weak from infirmity, at times pained by disease, struggle to speak to their loved ones who gather around. Jesus himself, while crucified, uttered what traditionally are known as the "Seven Last Words." Many a Catholic in a bygone age memorized these last sayings of Jesus as part of their religion lessons . . .  More...

IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE two more different portraits of Mary than the ones we read today. In the first reading, John's vision of the woman giving birth, while not historical, is traditionally associated with Mary. It's easy to see why. The woman is undoubtedly a great queen, clothed as she is with the sun, with the moon under her feet and wearing a crown with 12 stars. Her child . . .  More...

SILENT NIGHT, holy night . . . ." These words have priority of place, as we celebrate the awesome gift of the word made flesh, under a cloak of darkness. This midnight liturgy sanctifies the night-makes the stillness a holy place into which our God comes, here and now, to speak a new word, to show us a new face of love.How does this Christmas liturgy offer us . . .  More...

WE BELIEVE many things about Mary, and we think of her in many ways—the first disciple of Jesus; the greatest of saints. Throughout the year we celebrate her sinlessness and her assumption into heaven. But there's also a mysterious side to Mary, a part of our relationship to her we see in the words we use in prayer to her: Queen of the Universe . . .  More...

MOST CATHOLICS are not surprised the church makes feast days such as the Immaculate Conception or the Solemnity of Mary on New Year's Day holy days of obligation. But they might be surprised to learn that Ash Wednesday is not among these days—nor has the church made any day of repentance an "obligation." Interestingly, in most years more Catholics . . .  More...

SO IF I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you." It's understandable to feel a little reluctance at this challenge given to us by Jesus. Even Saint Peter balked. He said everything he could to deflect what Jesus was doing: "You will never wash my feet" . . .  More...

IN A WAY the story of Christ is one of descents and ascents, of going up to heaven and heaven coming down to earth. But the story is not a solo trip. In descending and ascending, Jesus takes us with him. He came from God to dwell among us and show us his way. He rose from the dead to give us life. He ascended into heaven to go back to God and complete his mission . . .  More...

Memories are mysterious things. Moments of remembering that flash across our minds at the sound of a word or the aroma of perfume or the phrase of a song. Sometimes our memories are welcomed treasures, giving birth to smiles and warm affection. Other times, as when we are grieving the loss of someone we love, memories wash over us as waves of pain . . .  More...

"THE GRINCH hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small." How many times have you read that to children . . .  More...

EACH NEW YEAR means beginning again. We start the new year with the promise of doing better in some area of our lives.We do well to compare our beginning (again) with God's way of beginning. God can begin, in an absolute sense, at zero. We need something from which to begin. The book of the Bible called Genesis tells of the beginning God made . . .  More...

TODAY'S CHILDREN live in a challenging culture. They are often overwhelmed, not only by harmful messages in the media but also through excessive participation in extracurricular activities, particularly sports. Physical therapists have expressed concern for the increasing number of young children coming for treatment for damage done to muscles and tendons . . .  More...

PASSOVERS are for people on the move, people going from one thing to the next. And many of us, certainly, can relate. Our lives have become busier than we ever imagined they would be, and we frequently feel our time is not our own. There's always the next thing to do, the next place to go. And that's not all bad. Our activities, work, and responsibilities help to fill our lives . . .  More...

IN THE STORY The Fugitive by the famous Indian author Rabindranath Tagore, a father returns from his wife's funeral. His boy of 7 stands at the window with eyes wide open and a golden amulet hanging from his neck. The boy is full of thoughts too difficult for his age. His father takes him in his arms and the boy asks, "Where is Mother?" The father answers, "In heaven . . .  More...

"SINCE our departed brothers and sisters believed in the mystery of the Resurrection," one of the prayers in the Mass for this day says, "let them share the joys and blessings of the life to come." These words say much about why we gather to pray today. We remember that those who have gone before us believed, and we remember what they believed in—eternal life.  More...

WHAT IS a mystery? Is it something we can't ever know? Not really. Rather it's something we need faith to know. We have to enter into mysteries, and faith is the key that unlocks them. Today we stand before and celebrate a mystery: the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary, the church teaches, was preserved from original sin since the moment . . .  More...

THE MONK and author Thomas Merton once wrote of the Blessed Virgin Mary: "In the actual, living person who is the Virgin Mother of God [is] all the wisdom of all the saints." Like all the saints, Mary gave herself completely, mind, body, and spirit, to God, and we honor her today for the great example she gives us. Mary saw and responded to the great blessing . . .  More...

"RETURN TO ME with your whole heart," the prophet tells us. It is a call that went out to the Israelites and one that goes out to us. God's call has come down to us through covenants, prophets, and especially in Jesus. Creation itself testifies to God's great love for and God's great desire for us to live in God. The Lord is gracious, kind, and merciful, scripture says . . .  More...

WE HAVE JUST WALKED with Jesus to his death. Why such suffering and pain? We know that somehow in Jesus’ death is our life, but why? We know it cannot be that one person of the Blessed Trinity would want another person of the Trinity to suffer. We know what scripture says: God is love. As much as we grieve the passion of Jesus,  we come together today . . .  More...

FOR CENTURIES Christians have followed Christ to the cross to contemplate the crucified Jesus and express our solidarity with the suffering Lord. We come here today for the same reason. But after we have listened to scripture, we might wonder: Could this person really be the one God has sent to save us, one who, the readings say, was disfigured, beaten, afflicted . . .  More...

“I WILL POUR out my spirit upon all flesh. Your preschoolers and teenagers shall prophesy, your senators shall dream dreams, and your police officers shall see visions; even upon CEOs and flight attendants, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.”It’s fairly certain that the prophet Joel could never have imagined the kinds of work we do today or the places we do it . . .  More...

THE PRESENCE of God changes people. The scripture we hear proclaimed and the feast we celebrate this evening—the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary body and soul into heaven—testify to the transforming power of God. When the ark of God's presence is brought into the tent, there is rejoicing. In the psalm we rejoice over the entrance of God . . .  More...

OF THE MANY mysteries of being human, time is one of the most intriguing and elusive. Philosophers and theologians have been writing about the subject for centuries, but no one has been able to define it once and for all. Perhaps Saint Augustine of Hippo summed up the conundrum best when he wrote: “What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is . . .  More...

THE MEMORIAL of Christ we celebrate today, and every time we gather around the table of the Lord, does not leave us or our world unchanged. It continuously transforms us and makes us Christ-like so that when we leave this sacred space we do like him and, “tying a towel around our waist,” as it were, we make God’s love visible to others by gently touching their lives . . .  More...

What a story in today’s gospel proclamation. If you had never heard of Jesus Christ before today, and it was the first time you listened to any part of his story, who would you think he was? If it were your first time in a gathering of his followers, who would you say Christians are? Today we were not greeted with “the Lord be with you,” we did not sing any songs to open our celebration . . .  More...

Perhaps is an uncle, an aunt, or one of our brothers or sisters, but at every family celebration, no matter the occasion, there is always one person who tells the same story year after year. Maybe it’s a story about themselves from a few years or decades ago, or perhaps it is about a corky uncle—whom we’ve never met—or the eccentric neighbor who used to live . . .  More...

For more than 1,000 years peasants, saints, scholars, and even royalty have walked hundreds of miles across Spain to Santiago de Compostela, the place where legend holds that Saint James the Apostle is buried. After his martyrdom in Jerusalem his followers took the body and brought it back to Spain. It is amazing that in the Middle Ages tens of thousands of people trekked . . .  More...

Today we remember those whom we have known and loved and have gone before us, those who nourished us, loved us, and in some way have made us who we are today. Even with their faults and failings, we loved them and their passing has left an emptiness in our homes and in our hearts. Take a moment now in silence and one by one bring their memory . . .  More...

I know all of you are very excited today, and so am I. It's Christmas Eve and you're all thinking about the wonderful things that Christmas Day may bring. And I know that is important to you. But even more important is that you get ready for the celebration of the birth of Christ. How do we get ready? Well, I know that just about all of the Christmas gifts have been purchased . . .  More...

This might be our 30th or 40th or even our 50th Christmas, so it is entirely possible that we haven’t given much thought to exactly what it is we are celebrating today. The omnipresence of Christmas, together with the many preparations this day requires, conspires against such reflection. Who has time to think about the birth of Christ? We have to get ready for Christmas! . . .  More...

Imagine a group of elementary school kids celebrating Hallowe'en (the eve of All Saints Day) by parading around the block of their school wearing false beards, robes, and crowns, some with swords, dressed not as Darth Vader, Catwoman, or Spiderman but as a motley group of saints. No wonder the "publics" (kids from the public school across the street) figured . . .  More...

Like most folks, Catholics are ambivalent about death. As a friend pointed out: "If Catholics believe that dying means entering heaven and being in Jesus' presence, why are we so afraid of it?" But at some level, most of us are. Even Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, who in his last illness astonished Chicago reporters by talking so openly and serenely about his impending death . . .  More...

At every Mass on Sundays in every corner of the globe, Christians draw strength from the force of close to a billion voices praying the words of the Creed: I believe in one God . . . . Most Christians can recite the Creed, but many of us might stumble if we actually had to explain the meaning behind this compact statement of belief. As we welcome the Light of the World . . .  More...

It’s only in hindsight that we see Mary as extraordinary. The Second Vatican Council called Mary “pre-eminent” and a “wholly unique member of the church.” In her day and in her time she was an ordinary Jewish girl. The girls learned to cook, weave, and sew. They went to the well for water, gathered firewood, ground flour, and then baked the bread. Mary would have done . . .  More...