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AMERICA Magazine
A balanced Catholic weekly magazine published by the jesuits of the United States for an intelligent Catholic readership. Go online to subscribe.

Liturgy
This link will keep 'parishioners-at-large' in touch with current creative liturgy sources and resources that respect a variety of 'traditions' within the Church.

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A 'movement' of lay Catholics 'inspired' by the abuse scandal calling for greater accountability of bishops to 'Catholics in the Pew.'

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A National Network of self-help support groups for people abused by clergy or religious.

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Vital information about the disclosure of sexual abuse and related issues affecting Catholics in the pew and the manner in which Bishops continue to exempt themselves from accountability

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A national Catholic lay newspaper covering events not usually covered or presented with a clerical bias in the local diocesan press or but of concern and interest to Catholics.

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A 'lay' Catholic weekly publication with an accent on an intelligent analysis and commentary on curent issues, trends and concerns of interest to Catholics.

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Daily Scripture

+ 7th Week of Easter

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

Readings: Acts 20:17-27 Psalm 68:10-11, 20-21 John 17:1-11

I am in the world no longer, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. [John 17:11]

Shakespeare ‘penned’ the phrase quoted above. I didn’t understand it as a student of Shakespeare in high school but I began to understand it when I waved goodbye to my family as I sailed off to Italy on September 21, 1963 for a three-year stretch in Rome. In fact, it has multiple meanings and applications that I appreciate now more than ever before.

There is another phrase that perhaps gives credence to my thoughts so poorly expressed and it’s this: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Ah, that’s it. At times we need to separate from ‘the source’ in order to appreciate how important it is to stay connected.

The farewell speech of St. Paul in Acts and the farewell ‘prayer’ of Jesus in John’s gospel were more likely composed by the authors of these texts along the lines of the farewell speeches of great leaders of their times in order to attract the attention of Jesus’ followers.

The departure of Jesus and later that of Paul created ‘fallow’ time in the hearts of the neophyte believers that was absolutely necessary if they were to grasp the significance of Jesus’ message and the teachings of St. Paul.

We are once again in ‘fallow’ time as we prepare for Pentecost. It’s a time of discernment during which we are invited to ponder the words and deeds of Jesus so that in his absence, we may come to know his presence in the Spirit that remains within us and around us.

As we ponder, it is important to reflect on the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and reverence of the Lord. And the fruits of the Holy Spirit are qualities that are characteristic of a community living in Christ: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty self-control and chastity.

There is much to ponder as we wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

Daily Scripture

Sunday December 19, 2004

+ 4rd Week in Advent

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14 Romans 1:1-7 Matt 1:18-24

Read the entire story!

“This is only what scripture has predicted, and it is all part of the way eh eternal God wants things to be. He alone is wisdom; give glory therefore to him through Jesus Christ fore ever and ever. Amen.” [Romans 1:27]

As some of you are aware, I am a fan of John Kavanaugh, SJ, whose commentary on Catholic mores frequently appears in the very excellent Jesuit monthl, AMERICA magazine. By the way, if you do not subscribe to it, you should! It’s truly centrist and therefore balanced.

In any event, in his latest commentary entitled, “Christmas Conscience,” Father Kavanaugh invites readers to ‘read as if you believed it.’ He is referring to the entire gospel of Saint Matthew. No, John is not a biblical fundamentalist or even a theological literalist, but for the sake of the gut truth of what is revealed in Matthew’s gospel, he is suggesting a “literal” and “strict” interpretation of the text as an exercise in search of the deeper truths that Christ came to reveal in his humanity through parables, sermons and of course, his miracles.

Here are Fr. Kavanaugh’s own words: “If you have not tired it recently, take up the Gospel of Matthew and read right through it in one or two settings. Don’t meditate on it, but read it carefully and slowly, not as a teacher or a priest or a theologian or a Republican or a Democrat or a feminist or hyphenated American. Read it as a human being, and see if you believe it. Or just read it as if you did believe it, s if you truly thin it is all real, all true: how Jesus was born; how he lived; what he taught; how and why he died.”

I’m going to do just that this week.