When a Book Belongs to God
Writing a book is a lot of work. And I mean a lot of work. I’ve written two. The first one, The Goodness Within: Reaching Out to Troubled Teens with Love and Compassion, was published by Paulist Press in 2004,...
Tagged: forgiveness
Glimpses of Hope: Journeying with Survivors of Clergy Abuse
[Editor’s note: This article by Mark Joseph Williams and Fr. Hans Zollner, SJ, speaks with clarity and honesty about one of the most painful and urgent issues facing the Church: how it listens to, responds to, and accompanies survivors of...
Not Just a Prayer
Let me paint a picture. One day, Jesus was praying. Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Lk 11:1). What place did he...
Teach Me to be Gentle with All
I try to limit the amount of autobiographical material I post. For one thing, I have no way of keeping up with the universal and enduring truths which need to be explored. At any given time, there are anywhere from...
On Profound Forgiveness
The Holy Father’s recent series of General Audience addresses has covered virtues and vices, during which he has spoken about many topics, including the importance of forgiveness, guarding against nurturing anger, and resolving conflict in families. The Church has given...
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
We spend most of our lives hiding behind our true selves. It’s pitiful, honestly. I’m nearly 50 years old and I still spend much of my time worried about what others will think. Does it really matter? A few years...
Mercy is not a “Get out of Jail Free” Card
A reflection on the readings of September 17, 2023 — the 24th Sunday of Ordinary Time. In a reflection I recently read on today’s Gospel, the author did some math to try to put the two debts we just heard...
Only Sinners Need Apply
A state funeral is a most impressive ceremony. We saw this recently with the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. A nation faces its own mortality in the death of a leader. The fragility of life is enfolded in the power...
Sins Like Scarlet
Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18) There is a legendary story,...
Any bit of contrition
Always lost for words, I never knew what to say to God as I tried to focus my attention on him at Sunday Mass. I admit that I did not always find Mass interesting. I attended every week mostly out...
The Sanctuary for the Broken and Shamed
This is a reflection on the readings for May 3, 2022 – the Third Sunday of Easter Kintsugi, or Kintsukori, is a 15th century Japanese art of repairing broken pottery and transforming it into a new work of art with...
No one is an accidental creation
In my thirty years on this earth, I have strived to live according to the commandments handed down by God fully manifest in the incarnate and risen Jesus Christ. It is never easy, regardless of which commandment. While all are...
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