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The Face of Poverty
Today’s commentary is from Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, also chairman of Catholic Relief Services.
Poverty is a virtue but also a sad state of suffering and want.
Christ calls us to be poor and said of Himself: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests: but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” Christ invites us, in imitation of Him, to renounce worldly possessions and let go of things we feel we need to embrace a life of simplicity. Yet while poverty is a virtue to be embraced, it also can mean living in less than human circumstances, bereft of basic life necessities. Continue reading
The Face of Poverty
January is Poverty Awareness Month. To help raise awareness among Catholics of poverty and its underlying issues, the US Catholic Bishops have updated its website , and launched a Spanish counterpart. Today’s commentary is from Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa. Continue reading
Three Little Shakespearian Pigs
Fr. Kevin
Maureen Dowd well describes Fr. Kevin. He was my moral theology professor in seminary and a wonderful teacher and pastoral image of what it could mean to be a priest. Ms. Dowd gave over one of her recent columns to Fr. Kevin. Have a read.
A Modern Bethlehem
Video
Santa in the tradition…
Church History in 4 Minutes…
Fun video. I gather that the authors’ church had just finished a 21-week series on church history. The video whimsically proposes that only about 4 minutes were needed. Enjoy!
A Carol for Newtown
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Today, as I write, is the Feast of St. Joh of the Cross. In his work, Ascent of Mt. Carmel, St John writes (to the effect), ask no more questions of God, but rather look to the person of Jesus – all the answers are there. To which I would add, and be humble about what you understand – “religion” and its adherents have been thinking about this for two millenia – and celebrating its revelation in ritual, traditions, Traditions, and all things peripheral to the core of Jesus – but (in my experience) all things that lead to the center.
“I’m spiritual, not religious”
I wish I had a back massage for every time I’ve heard this line. What gets me most is the presupposition it stems from, that “spiritual” is the assumed equivalent of “good” and “religious” is the assumed equivalent of “evil.” Who made up this language game?
Honestly, who decided that “spiritual” was a term that would be used to contradict religion and as evidence of personal enlightenment without further ado? And does anyone using the phrase ever stop to think what they actually mean by it? I think what is usually meant is that religion is man-made tradition, whereas spiritual is a phenomenon that happens on a personal level, free from all “man-madeness” and tradition, and thus… true?
My experience has been exactly the opposite. I spent the first 20 years of my journey in Christianity believing that I was spiritual and not religious, and I…
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