In 1991, Pope John Paul II was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Part of his response was to set aside February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, as a day to remember all the sick of the world.
Mindwalk Podcasts: Latest posts and thoughts...
Connecting Dots: Lent, Valentine’s Day, and Systemic Change
At first glance, it may seem like quite a stretch to connect Ash Wednesday, Valentine’s Day and Systemic Change. But hear me out. Actually, it is not that hard.
Longing for Belonging … Parish Possibilities
For the month of February 2023, Pope Francis asks people to join with him to pray that parishes be more open communities.
That got me thinking about our longing for belonging and the possibilities of parishes.
Our Original Sin
G.K. Chesterton wrote “original sin is a fact, an observable fact one can “see in the street.”
Did Pope Francis Just Change the Our Father?
Not everyone has caught up to this yet… Pope Francis (and some national hierarchies) changed the phrase “lead us not into temptation” to “do not let us fall into temptation The reaction is somewhat predictable.
When Was the Last Time You Were Afraid?
Among the lessons of this feast is that all the things we can not understand now will one day be clear to us. She teaches us to trust that one day we will all understand the things that we can not understand and even rail against. Blessed is she who believed.
The Part of the Our Father We Skip
As I work my way through Pope Francis’ wonderful series of Wednesday audiences devoted to the Our Father, I have become more aware of how challenging this prayer is. Now…“forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.
Whose Daily Bread Do We Pray For – Mine? or Ours?
The bread a Christian requests in prayer is not “mine”, but “ours”.This is what Jesus wants.
“If one does not pray in this way, the “Our Father” ceases to be a Christian prayer.
If God is our Father, how can we present ourselves to him without taking each other by the hand?
Leaven or Fungus for “Thy Kingdom Come!”
Leaven is “a pervasive influence that modifies something or transforms it for the better.” Fungi are the principal decomposers in ecological systems. When are we leaven … and when are we fungi for the “Kingdom”?
Fathers and Mothers As Images of God
Our fathers and mothers give us insight into God. But “our Father in Heaven” speaks of love beyond the most loving of mothers and fathers.
Praying the Our Father For the “First Time”
I have read many thoughtful commentaries on the Our Father. Yet the Holy Father is helping me pray the Our Father as if for the first time.
From the Heart of a “Grandfather”
The prophet Joel once promised: “Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men will have visions” (Joel 3:1). The future of the world depends on this covenant between young and old.
Doubting Thomas, Doubting Vincent, Our Doubts
Experiencing the wounds of Christ was the key to belief and transforming St. Thomas! We are challenge to get our hands dirty and touch Christ’s wounds today.