God’s Challenging Call – Are You Up For It?
You may not think about it. You may not pray about it. You may not even know about it. But like it or not, if you’ve been baptized, God is calling you to be a prophet! “A prophet? Who me?”...
Tagged: baptism
I No Longer Call You Servant
I work with homeless and at-risk youth. I’ve been doing it for 42 years, the first few decades in or around New York City but for the last 20 years in Vermont. I’m an executive director, a role which entails...
The Mystical Theology of the Transforming Grace of Pentecost
Each year at the conclusion of the Easter Season the Catholic Church liturgically celebrates the Solemnity of Pentecost, but it is sometimes difficult to understand the specific nature of the grace of Pentecost that is given to the faithful who...
Of White Meat and Baptismal Sponsors
Do you know what white meat is? Of course you do! It’s the edible flesh that comes from poultry. At least, that’s what it means in modern English. If you were to travel back to England the 1400s, however, “white...
Synod Cynics and the Baptismal Call
Imagine if the pope extended an invitation to all the Catholics of the world and invited them to share their thoughts about the Church. Let’s imagine they were given a forum to speak about what they saw as the Church’s...
“Everything Is Grace”
Two years ago, the Pew Research Center conducted a poll and found that barely 1/3 of self-described Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This realization that most of those who identify themselves as Catholics do...
Precious Oil Upon the Head
When I was in Girl Scouts (a long time ago!), at summer camp one year we learned a couple of Israeli songs. One was called “Hine Ma Tov” and it is very popular with Jewish singers. (A good rendition can...
Validity of Form, Sacramental Grace, and the Specter of Feeneyism
When in 2020 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an instruction that the plural pronoun “we” was not to be used in the baptismal formula because it implies that the baptizand is baptized not by Christ but...
Sacramental Validity and Scrupulosity
The abbot dipped his right thumb in the chrism and made the sign of the cross on my forehead, He said, “Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” I responded, “Amen.” The abbot then said, “Peace be with...
Are you living your baptism?
A reflection on the readings for Sunday, January 9, 2022 — The Baptism of the Lord Each week, I pray with the Sunday Scriptures when I begin to prepare my homily. I’m always amazed when the Holy Spirit surprises me...
Clothed with the Glory of God
There is an ancient tradition that before the Fall, Adam and Eve were clothed with the Glory of God. Their relationship with God was so intimate that His life radiated out from their very skin. When Eve looked at Adam,...
The Baptism of Jesus: A Pivotal Event for Us and the Nation
This has been a tumultuous week in America. January 6, 2021 will remain etched in the annals of American history as a day of shame and revulsion. Americans, and indeed the world, witnessed scenes of lawlessness and anarchy unprecedented in...
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