The Word

Many people even some with extensive Catholic education confuse the immaculate conception of Mary and the virginal conception of Jesus According to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception Mary was conceived without original sin and so was prepared to be the mother of Jesus In this respect Mar

For most Christians the First Sunday of Advent is a sign of hope We begin a new cycle in the church year We look forward to celebrating Christmas and getting into the ldquo holiday rdquo spirit And we think about the coming of Christ and what that event has meant in our lives and our history Th

quot Let all be at peace rdquo This phrase from the Rule of St Benedict envisions a situation in which all members of the community are free of anxiety receiving what they need This understanding of peace corresponds with the biblical concept referred to on the Thirty-second Sunday ldquo a l

We are an impatient people and the advantages of the electronic age have only exacerbated this We have fast food instant replay and news bites We become anxious when we have to stand in line at a checkout counter and we complain when a homily is more than 10 minutes long I know people who will

It was only a few months ago that we reflected on religious leadership Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Today rsquo s readings place this theme before us again The frequency with which the Bible considers religious leadership points out both its importance and its challenge Because of human

There are some events that we would give anything to attend Who would not want to go to a presidential inaugural ball the Super Bowl or a World Series or the installation of a pope Though very different these are all momentous occasions and invitations to them are hard to come by One usually h

Every once in a while the world of popular music brings forth a song that can captivate our minds with its beautiful simplicity and can lift our yearning souls heavenward Jacques Brel rsquo s ldquo If We Only Have Love rdquo is such a song The melody is easy enough to grasp after singing only a

The Gospels often depict Jesus in conflict with those who are in positions of leadership both religious and political A close look will show that Jesus does not challenge legitimate authority but only the way individuals exercise it In an upcoming episode he counsels those around him to heed th