Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Does money buy happiness? In a May 2022 episode of his podcast “Margins of Error” Harry Enten of CNN[1]cites a 2010 study from Princeton University which says money can buy happiness … but only to a point. A major conclusion of the study suggested that the subjective measure of one’s […]

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time I am no politician. In fact, I detest the ways of partisan politics and the toxicity it injects into everything it touches. Yet we must all wade into politics to participate in the human drama. I much rather prefer the term diplomacy to intentionally include some measure of natural and […]

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Whenever we read about forgiveness in sacred scripture, we are often looking at it from God’s point of view, where God is the offended party and humanity through various representatives is often the offending party—from Adam and Eve who ate fruit from the forbidden tree to Cain who slew his […]

Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time “God, why does it have to be so difficult?” Have you ever asked that question … out loud? Some people may not be comfortable with this level of familiarity with God. I’ve been told many times I should not question God, that doubt can never be a good thing. I […]

Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time We might occasionally invite friends out to dinner or to our homes for a meal. It is a widely acceptable way to nurture friendship and share our blessings. And we can get together as often as we choose, sharing a meal, or drinks, or just hanging out and shooting the […]

Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time I am not a parent in case you didn’t know. Yet a good many people I meet will address me as “Father.” So, I take the opportunity to let you know that “Father” is not my given name. While among Catholics addressing a priest “Father” has historical precedence and is […]

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time I would not make a very good prophet. As far as I can tell, wherever a prophet is found, trouble is not far behind. I am a middle child. I will avoid tension and conflict at all costs. Rarely would a middle child initiate tension or conflict. And if it […]

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Living in the Bible Belt, we encounter people all the time who claim to believe in God. Some will just not shut up about it, most intending no offense of course, but there are a select few who wield their faith like a bat. Now people of faith proclaim what […]

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time A natural consequence of living anywhere for a long time is the accumulation of stuff. Now it is always easier to accumulate stuff than it is to get rid of stuff. We live in a land of plenty. We like to acquire nice things, useful things, things that can enhance […]