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Columns

The gift of taking your time

By Christina Capecchi
As I write this, I am keeping company with a Mama Robin on our backyard balcony, so I’m treading lightly. Tapping not pounding the keyboard. Sliding not slamming the door. Basking in the breeze.
6/4/25
Reading Time 3 min

From heaven’s perspective

By Fr. Steven Oetjen
June 1 — Lk 24:46–53 When we think of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus, we might think of it primarily as a sad occasion. “He left us,” one could lament. Now our senses are deprived of seeing his face and hearing his voice. We might picture the apostles gazing wistfully up into the sky, […]
5/31/25
Reading Time 3 min

Divine light

By Fr. Jack Peterson, YA
May 25 — Jn 14:23-29 As the church celebrates the sixth Sunday of Easter, we draw ever closer to the great solemnities of the Ascension and Pentecost. We continue to rejoice heartily in the Resurrection and prepare for a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Allow me to draw attention to three aspects of our […]
5/24/25
Reading Time 4 min

Pope Leo XIV calls for peace

By Msgr. Charles M. Mangan
The Election of Pope Leo XIV delighted and surprised many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. His first words before he gave his apostolic blessing, “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”), were memorable. “Peace be with you all! Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock.
5/22/25
Reading Time 3 min

New beginnings

By Elizabeth Foss
The air outside my back door smells of apple blossoms and new beginnings. It’s a season of caps tossed high, diplomas clutched with trembling hands, and proud families squinting through sunlit ceremonies. But this May brings an even bigger commencement for the global church: the election of a new pope — and for the first […]
5/22/25
Reading Time 3 min

Silent speeches

By Lucia A. Silecchia
If it is graduation season, then it is graduation speech season, too. High schools, colleges and now even elementary schools seek out high profile speakers to impart their wisdom to graduates — or, at least, they aim to. I am a bit dubious about what a pampered celebrity or popular sports figure could possibly know […]
5/22/25
Reading Time 3 min

Love one another

By Fr. Richard Miserendino
May 18 — Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35 It often seems odd that Jesus commands us to love. “Command” here is the challenging word, the imperative. We’re instructed to love, plain as day in our Gospel: “I give you a new commandment: Love one another.” How can you command someone to love? Our modern sensibilities are rankled, […]
5/17/25
Reading Time 3 min

Eternal life

By Fr. Joseph M. Rampino
“The Father and I are one.” While these words might not be the first that draw our attention in this weekend’s Gospel — the image of sheep and shepherd might feel far more relatable and practical for our spiritual lives — they nevertheless represent the heart of the text and teach us precisely what lies […]
5/10/25
Reading Time 3 min

When the waiting is the cross

By Elizabeth Foss
There are seasons when life seems to press pause, and all we can do is wait. We wait for news from the doctor. We wait for the outcome of a job interview. We wait for the results of an election or the white smoke from a Vatican chimney. We wait — and we worry.
5/7/25
Reading Time 3 min

Accepting help

By Christina Capecchi
The journey from a suburban Home Depot to our new country home spanned 11 miles and three helpers, winding over the river and through the woods. In the end, three crabapple trees successfully reached their destination — their trunks, an inch wide; their potential, infinite.
5/6/25
Reading Time 3 min

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