The psalm response for the First Sunday of Lent sets the tone for the entire season It is one of the most familiar biblical prayers for divine mercy ldquo Have mercy on me O God in your goodness In the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense rdquo In this simple verse we find two tec

Who has not heard or even sung the ditty ldquo This little light of mine I rsquo m gonna let it shine rdquo Children learn it and sing it with delight As simple as the words may be and as airy the melody the message is profound In fact it can be fully understood only by adults for it is a

Ash Wednesday launches us into the season of Lent The themes of the day are quite sobering The ashes placed on our foreheads are meant to call to mind the inevitability of death as one of the accompanying prayers reminds us ldquo You are dust and to dust you shall return rdquo Ash Wednesday

A clever advertisement for cellular phone service has found a niche in the popular consciousness The question ldquo Can you hear me now rdquo suggests that with this system reception is good anywhere in the world mdash if you are open to the call This all sounds like a vocation ad mdash not me

Idealistic young people are not the only people who yearn to change the world Committed social workers and politicians share that desire as do scientific and medical researchers Parents always say that they want a better world for their children Teachers too seek to equip students with the skill

There are various ways of playing follow-the-leader In this simple child rsquo s game the challenge is Can you do what I do Since leaders seldom give up being leader this can become the game You rsquo re not as good as I am At other times follow-the-leader is more serious than childish compe