By Sister Karen Cavanagh, C.S.J. I’VE ALWAYS HAD a special devotion to the Holy Family. The Sisters of St Joseph were founded with a tradition of modeling our lives on Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Our founder spoke of them as our “created trinity,” our models for living our “yes” to God’s plan. During these past […]
Sunday Scriptures
Called and Challenged to Live in the Now
By Sister Karen M. Cavanagh, C.S.J. It’s week two in Advent and we wonder, “Where is the time going?” Last Sunday, Advent’s first, was during the Thanksgiving weekend and many of us were already tired. Were we able to hear, let alone absorb Scripture’s reminders that we often “wander away, harden our hearts and wither […]
When Enough is Not Enough
By Msgr. Joseph P. Calise I suppose most college students have at least one moment that began as an embarrassment and ended up being a great lesson in life. While I was living at the North American College, I managed to amass a fairly substantial phone bill. The telephone process was simple: We would call […]
The Search for Tangible Signs
By Msgr. Joseph P. Calise I live in a great neighborhood. Williamsburg has become an amazing mixture of young and mature, traditional and avant-garde, long-standing and trendy – the old and the new, side by side. One of the things I like most about living here – and coincidentally one of the reasons I believe […]
The Sacredness of Place
Reflecting on the readings for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, Msgr. Joseph P. Calise considers the very unusual and human image of Jesus presented in this week’s Gospel.
Walking Through The Valley of Life
In 1997, James Cameron’s version of “Titanic,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, opened in theaters. There are many memorable scenes and lines, but there is one in particular that I found both tragic and amusing.
We Always Need Spiritual Renewal
n a favorite musical of mine, “Fiddler on the Roof,” Tevye and Lazar sing, “God would like us to be joyful even when our hearts lie panting on the floor; how much more could we be joyful when there’s really something to be joyful for?”
Responding to the Lord’s Invitations
“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Guaranteed to get our attention, likely to unnerve us, this question suggests that our joy at glad tidings may be overshadowed by upsetting news we’d rather not hear.
Our Witness Is an Effective Force
Some laughter or chuckles from the congregation at the right moment assure a preacher he got his point across to them. While a homilist may find it amusing to notice one person in a pew gesturing to another as if to say, “He’s talking about you,” he hopes everyone gathered for worship realizes the Scriptures are being proclaimed for them.
One Necessary Trait
Jesus of Nazareth was fully human and fully divine. Like most human beings, He divided His world into people He could tolerate and those He could not.