Paul’s Second Journey

At Mass this week we have been reading narratives from Paul’s second missionary journey. Acts of the Apostles, chapters 16 to 18, recounts how Paul and his companions reached Macedonia and stayed a long while in towns like Philippi and Corinth. Paul’s second missionary journey was a test of endurance. In...

Bringing Back the Bluebirds

A couple years ago, a Franciscan friar in my community, Fr. Carl, built and mounted a number of bird houses on the property of our St. Anthony Shrine. The birdhouses are nicely constructed of cedar and are the exact type suited for bluebirds. Because there were no bluebirds around the shrine property, we...

Jury Duty

I have jury duty this week and next. When I received the summons to report for jury duty I groaned, but I also felt obliged to serve. Such service is demanded by the state for the common good of our society. Being called for jury duty reminds me of the fact that rights and duties are linked. As the Catholic...

Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

I have prayed the Liturgy of the Hours for years. When I joined the Franciscans in 1966, the Divine Office was all in Latin. We novices struggled to pronounce the Latin words, much less pray them. Switching to English was long overdue. Now we have a great explanation of the development of this official...

Lent is Almost Here

Since Christmas I have had a box of delicious chocolate candy sitting on the table in my office. If people come along who are hungry for chocolates I tell them to help themselves. It is amazing that there are still about 15 pieces left in the box. Why? Many of our staff tell me they are trying to shed the...