The goal of our temporal life on earth is eternal life in heaven after death. For as Jesus said, “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36). What we believe and how we act in this life will determine whether we go to heaven or not. So, the most important thing to know in this life is how to merit eternal life in heaven.
The prior 12 months have changed the world, and with it, all of our lives. In reflecting on the time from March 2020 to now, I was tempted to describe this period as “The year lost to COVID-19” but that would be hyperbole. This has been a year of contrasts and counterpoints. I watched my children miss spending time with their friends, only to see their relationships grow stronger as they learned to be not just siblings, but friends. I observed the Easter Triduum on a smartphone but a few months later was able to watch our oldest daughter receive her first Communion at our parish. I’ve seen outrage, shock and violence shake our communities, but also have witnessed incredible outpourings of generosity and sincere care for neighbors. It has, in short, been a year mixed with contradiction. But we have persevered to the best of our ability. And in the coming months, we will need to maintain that resolution. What are the ways in which we can persevere?
As Dr. Seuss’ canon of children’s books is being re-evaluated, I took a closer look at one that will remain in publication, “Horton Hatches The Egg.” Published in 1940, this was Dr. Seuss’ fourth book, and it was met with critical acclaim. The book features an elephant whose large ears and long trunk provided the ideal infrastructure for the artist’s distinct lumps and humps.
What is President Biden talking about when he speaks of “codifying Roe v. Wade”? Biden has used the expression many times and conspicuously repeated it two days after the Inauguration in a joint statement with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Every February, we celebrate Catholic Press Month as designated by the Catholic Media Association, which just changed its name from Catholic Press Association.
It’s been a year now since we began the Lent that seemed to never end. All the forces of the world out there seemed to work against a holy and meaningful Lent. And then, Easter came and we were locked out of the churches, kept separate from one another. What is so interesting to me is how that unusual Lent propelled so many people deeper into the practices that pull us away from what we want in Lent. What a party the devil had in the depths of our despair.
We buried my Mom this week. Seven months ago, I first drove her to her new memory care facility. My heart was breaking. She was so scared and vulnerable, but was trying so hard to be brave. My brother said it was like taking your kid to preschool for the first time. And never going back to pick her up.
Many people who have come close to dying report having had a near-death experience (NDE). An NDE is a lucid experience associated with perceived consciousness apart from the body occurring at the time of actual or threatened imminent death. NDEs typically encompass several sensations, including being outside one’s physical body, feelings of peace and joy, and moving in a tunnel toward a loving bright light.
As we follow Christ further into the wilderness of Lent, our Gospel for this Sunday presents us with a bit of a surprise: The transfiguration. We might have expected a passage about prayer, fasting, or almsgiving, or perhaps repentance. Instead, we have Mark 9:2-10, where Peter, James and John behold the glory of God radiating through Christ’s humanity.
Immeasurable riches
The fourth Sunday of Lent is also called Laetare Sunday, a name taken from the first words of the traditional entrance antiphon for this Sunday, “Rejoice, O Jerusalem.” This Sunday is intended by Mother Church to be a moment of encouragement near the halfway point of the Lenten season traditionally marked by a variety of penitential practices that can weigh us down along the way. To mark this day at Mass, the altar may be decorated with flowers, more robust music sung and rose-colored vestments worn. Laetare Sunday is an invitation to rejoice because we have progressed through a good portion of our Lenten observances and our Easter celebrations are drawing near.