All Posts
Walking on holy ground
As I walked into the building to begin my first evening of teaching religion to middle school students, I felt a sense of awe. During the previous spring I had moved to our convent in Green Bay, and now I was about to engage in ministry in the first place in which our Sisters had taught, over 150 years ago. Somehow their spirit seemed to envelope this old school, a spirit of dedication and self-sacrifice, a spirit of commitment and perseverance in face of the many challenges those Sisters confronted in bringing the Word of God to people living in the wilderness of Wisconsin. Read More
Resilience through the seasons
On the front cover of some greeting cards that I recently purchased at a retreat house are two pictures of a very old tree that stands on the premises. It has lost most of its limbs and its trunk is almost completely hollow. Located on the edge of the lake, it has endured the force of the wind through many storms. One picture was taken in the winter, when the branches were bare, and another in the summer when, amazingly, the branches were covered with bright green leaves. Read More
Travel tips
Recently our pastor shared the story of how he bought a new bumper sticker for his car. It said: “Slow down. Chill out. Enjoy the ride.” He was hoping that irritated drivers behind him, anxious to get somewhere fast, would read the message and calm down. Apparently that bumper sticker wasn’t too effective, and Father Joe has since removed it. Read More
Sins and shortcomings
Many people, even lifelong Catholics, wrongly assume that Ash Wednesday is a holy day of obligation; it’s not, but more of a “holy day of invitation.” Read More
In search of "God moments"
One of the first things I do when Advent begins is get my CD with George Handel’s musical masterpiece, “The Messiah”, and insert it into the player in my car. I listen to it as I drive throughout the season. My favorite part is when the soloist proclaims the words from the prophet Isaiah: “O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into a high mountain ...." and concludes with the words, “Behold your God.” Read More
Grateful for God's call to religious life and teaching
I was getting very excited; it was the beginning of a new school year and I was going to be teaching a seventh grade religion class. However, my enthusiasm was quickly deflated when, on the evening of our open house, a boy indicated that he was not looking forward to being in my class. After some prodding from his mother, he accepted the little gift that I had bought for each student. Read More
To Preach or Not to Preach
Each year as the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi approaches, I feel a bit overwhelmed. There is so much about him and his life on which to focus: his conversion, love of Christ crucified, life of poverty, relationship with all of God’s creatures, founding of a religious order. Which aspect of his life should I concentrate on during my personal prayer? What would I share during a small group discussion? Read More
Walking on water
“This week shall stand at the head of your calendar.” That’s the sentence I write at the top of my journal page as I begin my retreat each summer. However, as I moved through my retreat this year, I was beginning to feel a little disappointed. For several days I had been intensely focused on the Sacred Scriptures, but I was at a loss as to what the Lord was really trying to reveal to me. Read More
O come, let us adore him
Christmas candles and winter in North America make it easy to visualize the Gospel of John’s description of Jesus as a light shining in the darkness. Read More
Witnessing Royal Events
This is a week of mourning and transition. As the United Kingdom remembers and celebrates the life of Queen Elizabeth, the world community grieves the loss of a remarkable woman. A person who fulfilled her official duties for over 70 years, until two days before her death, the queen was also a devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, cherishing her time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren at her summer home in Scotland. Inheriting the legacy of his mother, Prince Charles has assumed his role as king. Read More