The Word

When citizens of the United States hear the word pilgrim they immediately think of the Puritans who were among the earliest European settlers of this country This is particularly true around the time of Thanksgiving when the words pilgrim and Puritan are often used interchangeably However the

Probably the best known royal leader in the world today is Queen Elizabeth of England Although her leadership role is in many ways more ceremonial than administrative her official title is still quite impressive She is Queen Elizabeth II by the Grace of God Queen of this Realm and of Her Other R

There is always a great deal of emotion in anticipation of ldquo the day rdquo whether that be a wedding day the first day of vacation opening day at the ballpark or the day of discharge from the service mdash to name but a few important days in the lives of many of us In such cases not only

There is within every living being an innate tendency to cling to life and flourish It is no different with human beings In fact it is this passion for life that often causes us anxiety in the face of death The value that various peoples ascribe to the human spirit can be seen in the practices w

Genuine hospitality is a social art It might also be characterized as an intricate dance Both partners have to know the steps but they also have to be able to feel the rhythm of the other They have to know when to move forward and how far they have to know when to step back and to what extent

Too often saints are depicted as people who are so extraordinary that we could never identify with them Their commitment to God and virtue is unwavering their trust in divine providence unshakable and their unselfish service of others puts everything that we do to shame Such a depiction is unfor

We probably all have long lists of things we would never do I would never rob a bank or attack a helpless person or run off with the pool man It is beneath my dignity to cheat on a test or purchase clothing I intend to wear only once and then return for refund God am I good But then I have n

We are not a patient people We want immediate results We depend on ldquo fast rdquo food we are used to instant communication This disposition is particularly obvious in the popularity of quick weight-loss programs Perseverance is not high on our list of cultural values We hardly ever hear i

We may think that leprosy known today as Hansen rsquo s disease is an ancient affliction that has been eradicated from today rsquo s society In fact the current World Health Organization considers it one of the major health problems in developing countries But what is called leprosy in the Bibl

We don rsquo t hear much about faith nowadays except faith in ourselves Ours is a culture of self-reliance and self-determination However if we are honest with ourselves we will have to admit that we are all burdened with a measure of self-doubt mdash not necessarily the unhealthy kind of self-