EVERY SEMESTER I give a talk for Sister Ave Clark, O.P., and her Heart to Heart Ministry. I like to think that I do this to help Sister Ave with her marvelous ministry. However, I receive much more than I give. There are numerous ministries in the Brooklyn Diocese, and many people working very hard to help people. Sister Ave’s ministry, I think, is special.
Arts and Culture
Fr. Robert Lauder is a philosophy professor at St. John’s University and the author of “Pope Francis’ Spirituality and Our Story” (Resurrection Press).
The Potter and The Clay
BACK ON THE first Sunday of Advent a line in a reading from Isaiah brought to mind a whole set of memories. The line is: “…O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you are the potter; we are the work of your hands” (Isaiah 64: 7-8).
Catholic Conscience as Countercultural
WHENEVER I HEAR of a king, my imagination almost immediately produces someone with a jeweled crown and ermine cape. Needless to say this is not a good image for Christ the King. In fact, it almost seems like an image that would convey the exact opposite of the kingship of Christ.
The Phenomenon of Social Media
THERE ARE SO many problems in the contemporary world that at the Prayer of the Faithful at Mass, I hardly know what to mention. Where do I begin and how much detail should I give?
Literary Depictions Of Holiness
IN REFLECTING on the experience of writing this column, I find it interesting how, without any conscious planning on my part, some themes come together in my mind.
Hope and Faith to Transform the Future
A PRIEST FRIEND recommended Father Louis J. Cameli’s new book “Church, Faith, Future: What We Face, What We Can Do” (Liturgical Press: Collegeville, Minnesota, 2017, pp. 104). Out of respect for my friend’s judgment, I almost immediately ordered the book. But when I received the thin paperback, I didn’t expect much, probably because of the book’s small size and the fact that I had never heard of the author. I was in for a wonderful surprise. “Church, Faith, Future” is a gem.
Christmas Is a Special Time
A FEW YEARS AGO, a friend of mine wrote to me and complained about a Christmas column that I had written. I cannot recall exactly what I had written, but it was something about how the Incarnation continues today.
Hope Without Disappointment
Third and last in a series
IN HIS BOOK, “Building the Human” (New York: Herder and Herder, 1968, pp. 192), Robert Johann gives an interesting sketch of how hope functions between two persons who are entering a love relationship. I think that Johann’s insight into the mystery of hope is an excellent example of how philosophy can deepen and expand our understanding of theology, and can also help us in our attempts to live out what we believe about the mysteries of Catholicism.
Hope and The Eucharist
IN PREPARING this series of columns on hope, I recalled a poem that I like very much. I think I first read it when I was a student in the seminary. Entitled “Hope,” it was written by Charles Péguy.
In the poem, Péguy imagines God speaking. The opening lines are the following:
Hoping Against Hope
Another advent! My mind immediately turns to thoughts about the virtue of hope. I agree with St. Paul that the greatest virtue is charity, but I suspect that hope comes in a close second.
