stceceliastgabriel

Christmas

Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway is a spiritual writer who understands the nature of the spiritual malady that afflicts our age, a sickness that runs so deep within us that most aren’t even aware we have it. He describes it as despair, as a kind of spiritual sadness. We are sad, he argues, becauseContinue reading “Christmas “

No Double-Dipping

George Costanza is not a good role model. There are many reasons why this is true, including his propensity to double-dip. We first learned of the Seinfeld character’s bad habit in Season 4 during the episode when George tries to score points with his new girlfriend by accompanying her to Michigan to attend the funeralContinue reading “No Double-Dipping “

R.I.P. Shane MacGowan

The unusual Christmas song “Fairytale of New York” will be getting extra airplay this year. That’s because the unusual man who wrote it, Shane MacGowan, died this past November 30 at the age of 65. The song made MacGowan and his band The Pogues famous when it was released in 1988, and was the biggestContinue reading “R.I.P. Shane MacGowan “

Feels Like Home

When I was 25 I spent a year living in Spain. I was between jobs and unsure what my next move was going to be, so it seemed like a good (and fun) use of time as I contemplated my future. One of the most memorable parts of that year was the month I spentContinue reading “Feels Like Home “

Apostle to the Greeks

Andrew was an unusual name for a first-century Jewish man. That’s because it’s not a Hebrew name but one that comes from the Greek word andros, meaning man. But St. Andrew lived in the region of Galilee, a place where the Greek language and culture was influential. Perhaps it was due to this that hisContinue reading “Apostle to the Greeks “

Why Laws Matter

I recently watched a video of an exchange that took place in a committee meeting of the Irish Parliament about the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. The exchange was between a young Irish parliamentarian and an expert on medical ethics invited by the committee to testify. The parliamentarian was demanding that the expert explain on whatContinue reading “Why Laws Matter “

Planning for the End

Last Saturday we welcomed several speakers to give presentations on making end-of-life decisions. One spoke of the importance of having an Advanced Medical Directive and designating a Health Care Representative who has authority to make medical decisions on behalf of an incapacitated patient. Another talked about what’s involved in purchasing a cemetery plot and theContinue reading “Planning for the End “

Finding Wisdom in the Desert

Roman persecution of Christianity ended when the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 AD. Suddenly, to be Christian was to share the religion of the emperor and his mother, which made it socially respectable, even advantageous. Some saw spiritual danger in this development, worrying that it would lead to a soft Church that made friendsContinue reading “Finding Wisdom in the Desert “

Marian Consecration

When I was in my last year of seminary, something significant happened to my spiritual life. A friend gave me the book: 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration by Fr. Michael Gaitley. I had always known that the Blessed Mother was important. But I don’t think I hadContinue reading “Marian Consecration “

C’est la Confiance

“It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love.” In his letter, C’est la Confiance, published 10/15/23, Pope Francis commemorates the 150th anniversary of the birth of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. St. Therese, of course, was born in 1873 into an upper-middle class family, entered the Carmelite monastery inContinue reading “C’est la Confiance “