Almost every religion and ethical system on this beautiful shared planet of ours has love for one’s neighbor as a centerpiece. The great sage of the Talmud, Rabbi Hillel, was approached by a gentile who wanted to convert to Judaism. The man explained that he would accept Judaism only if the Rabbi could teach him… Continue reading “Love your neighbor…” Says just about everybody.
This Sunday (which happens to be the day that the U.S. will commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation) we'll hear Jesus challenged, yet again, by the Pharisees. "What's the greatest commandment?" they ask. He responds echoing the words of the great Rabbi Hillel: There are two great commandments. Love God, and love your neighbor… Continue reading Who’s My Neighbor?
I come from a very ethnic Irish American family. A few years ago, I posted the recipe for soda bread that my grandmother, Hanorah Hayes Sullivan, taught me as a youngster. It is the one that they made in her village, Murroe, in Limerick. (She was a servant girl in the house of the Lord… Continue reading The Soda Bread Wars
Beannacht / Blessing by John O’DonahueOn the day when the weight deadens on your shoulders and you stumble, may the clay dance to balance you. And when your eyes freeze behind the grey window and the ghost of loss gets in to you, may a flock of colours, indigo, red, green, and azure blue come… Continue reading Irish Blessing for St. Patrick’s Day
Every Lent, I think of this amazing poem by Wendell Berry. It seems even more relevant given the times in which we live. Enjoy! Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay. Want more of everything ready-made. Be afraid to know your neighbors and to die. And… Continue reading Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
Ars Praedicandi: Ed Foley’s Homily for the First Sunday of Lent, Year A by Fr. Ed Foley, Capuchin. At this stage of the season at this stage of the liturgy it is an exercise in the obvious to announce that it is Lent … If we don’t know that from the music,… Continue reading Lent inspiration from Fr. Ed Foley
From A Letter to a Young Activist Do not depend on the hope of results. When you are doing the sort of work you have taken on, essentially an apostolic work, you may have to face the fact that your work will be apparently worthless and even achieve no result at all, if not perhaps results… Continue reading From Merton’s “Letter to a Young Activist”
Return to me with all your heart… return to the Lord” (Jl 2:12, 13). The prophet Joel makes this plea to the people in the Lord’s name. No one should feel excluded: “Assemble the aged, gather the children, even infants at the breast, the bridegroom… and the bride” (v. 16). All the faithful people are… Continue reading “Lent is a path…” Pope Francis
I have the funniest, smartest friends. Like Paul Greene, who is singlehandedly advancing the English lexicon, a word or phrase at a time. I particularly like wAsh Thursday, which greeted me this morning. I wanted to start Lent by reflecting on the meaning of Ash Wednesday, but life got the best of me and I… Continue reading wAsh Thursday
I had the joy of praying with the Immanuel Lutheran community for Ash Wednesday. Here is Pastor Paul Nelson's reflection on the Gospel and the day. Tonight, we begin our journey of reflection and repentance called Lent, a time to contemplate our daily discipleship more deeply, be honest about how we fall in sin and selfishness,… Continue reading Jesus, the Center of It All
