For years, I had a strong aversion to historical fiction. That aversion goes back to when I was a student in college. The aversion lasted for many years. I had no desire to read books that were a combination of history and the author’s imagination. I wanted facts that were not mixed with some author’s created ideas. 

Recently, while preparing my Sunday homily, the words that continued to come to my mind were “conversion” and “renewal.” In my preparation, when I reflected on the three readings, those two words kept entering my consciousness. For me, these words were a good key to reflection on the readings. If they were a good key for me, perhaps they would be a good key for those participating in the Eucharist.

Every month, I receive the “Initiatives” newsletter that has been published for the past 46 years by the National Center for the Laity (PO Box 291102, Chicago, Illinois, 60620). I cannot recall how long I have been receiving it or how I started subscribing, but I am glad I somehow got on the mailing list. Every issue has something in its pages that interests me.

A few years ago — June 14, 2018, to be exact — David Brooks had a column in the New York Times entitled, “Personalism: The Philosophy We Need.” Because personalism is one of the philosophies that I teach at St. John’s University, I read the essay as soon as I saw the title.

A few years ago — June 14, 2018, to be exact — David Brooks had a column in the New York Times entitled, “Personalism: The Philosophy We Need.” Because personalism is one of the philosophies that I teach at St. John’s University, I read the essay as soon as I saw the title.

As I mentioned in last week’s column, I have been reflecting for some time on a view of death that Father Ronald Rolheiser wrote about in his spiritual masterpiece “Sacred Fire: A Vision for a Deeper Human and Christian Maturity” (New York: Image, 2014, pp. 344, $25.00).

I am not sure, but I think the first time I thought about our death as possibly an important gift to others was when I first read Father Ronald Rolheiser’s book, a contemporary spiritual classic “Sacred Fire: A Vision for a Deeper Human and Christian Maturity” (Image, Random House, pp. 342, 2014, $25.00).

I have been saying centering prayer daily for many years. Recently, I suspected that I could use a brief refresher course on the way centering prayer should be said, and I found what I was looking for in the wonderful book by James Martin, S.J.: “Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone,” Harper One, 2021, pp. 386, $27.99). 

Every time I glance through the pages of Bernard Cooke’s “Power and the Spirit of God: Toward an Experience-Based Pneumatology” (Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 209), I find some topic, question or insight that I wish to share with readers of this column. 

I wonder if in my past understanding of the Holy Spirit’s role in the process of salvation and redemption I unwittingly limited the Spirit’s activity to the Spirit’s role in the life of Catholics. Emphasizing in my own mind the presence of the Holy Spirit as the Soul of the Church and as the sanctifier in the life of Catholics, I may have unwittingly not appreciated the role of the Holy Spirit in the world.