In 2013, not long after Pope Francis became Pope Francis, he gave us the encyclical “Evangelii Gaudium,” or “The Joy of the Gospel.” Pope Francis, God rest him, personified joy. He brought fresh air into the stuffy papal atmosphere. He laughed with ease and seemed to relish spending time in …
"And you know, it ain't fiction
Who but our God is the rock?
"If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet."
Catholics know that Palm Sunday Mass features one of the longest Gospels read all year. It is also one of the few Gospels requiring our vocal participation. During the narration of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we churchgoers get to read the part of the rabid crowd demanding t…
I'm buying a souvenir, a magnet for the fridge. It's four dollars.
If you've visited the 9/11 Memorial in New York City, the name Father Mychal Judge may sound familiar. Father Judge, a Franciscan priest, was the chaplain for the New York City Fire Department, so where else would he have been on Sept. 11, 2001, but on the terrible scene at the Twin Towers? …
Here on the northern Oregon Coast, we're invited every Sunday afternoon to bring our anti-fascism protest signs — our obviously handmade signs that have not been funded by some shadowy billionaire — and to stand at a busy intersection along Highway 101.
The recycling center we bring our glass containers to asks that we separate glass that is labeled as requiring a deposit from glass that is unlabeled. As I was separating our collection for drop-off recently, my brain registered the big "CA REDEMPTIVE VALUE" letters on the beverage bottles o…
The relentless rains of this past December, ominously termed an "atmospheric river," have managed to wash out a stretch of the highway that takes me from my small town on Oregon's coast to the big city of Portland. Two lanes are down to one lane, the lost lane now collapsed into a small cliff.
How to describe the dawn of a new year? It’s a fresh start, a clean slate, a breath of air, a new leaf, a virgin blanket of snow, a chapter yet unwritten, and a dozen other apt metaphors. The prospect also nudges us to consider how we can live our lives more fully, especially if we are peopl…
When I read the news these days, I'm reminded of the story of Cassandra in Greek mythology. A Trojan princess, Cassandra received the gift of prophecy from the god Apollo, but the gift came with strings attached. When Cassandra did not submit to those strings, meaning sexual submission, Apol…
Another Advent is upon us, as heralded by the prophet Isaiah: "A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord!" (Isaiah 40:3). The Gospel of Mark later echoes Isaiah with the story of John the Baptist, a literal voice in the wilderness crying out to the people, "One mightie…
Good news: Getting around New York City via the subway system turned out to be easy and pretty cheap, especially for a senior citizen like me. Riding the subway also taught me a lesson in democracy.
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?"
Every now and then, the somewhat sketchy internet connection at my house goes kaput. I'm told this is a common circumstance of small-town life, where the most cutting-edge technology often isn't obtainable. It's a 21st century problem: I lived many decades before the internet was even a thin…
"An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights."
My husband and I are celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary today, a Saturday with the promise of fall in the air just like our wedding day in the last century.
When our family grew to include four young kids, my husband and I realized that if we did something more than once, it became a tradition. It seemed we couldn’t not do it after we’d done it twice. This applied to holidays, restaurant choices, camping sites, the first day of school, practical…
A confession: I love emojis.
Rich people are on notice: Just about any biblical passage about material wealth is a warning about its corrupting influence on the human condition. If we are familiar with the Judeo-Christian tradition, we know all about how God lifts up the poor and is not down with selfishness. The sacred…
We Americans don’t celebrate Bastille Day as heartily as the French do, but honestly, the way things are going, someday we might have our own Bastille Day.
Our world is lacking in the milk of human kindness these days, isn't it? Families and towns and whole countries are torn apart by disagreeing and arguing and fighting.
This is your Sunday, all you fathers out there, when your families expect a barbecue. If you're lucky, they'll let you sleep in. Then they'll pamper you with a new grilling apron or a book of dad jokes or a "World's Greatest Dad" mug.
As you have no doubt heard, after the death of Pope Francis on April 21, the conclave of cardinals got to work and elected a new pope on May 8. He is an American who has chosen the name Leo XIV.
This is our weekend, all you mothers out there, when our families give us a break. They let us sleep in, wine and dine us, take over our usual chores, send us to spas, and pamper us with presents purchased and handmade. Let's enjoy the salute. Let's not let them know that being their mom is …
Famous people seem to have a lot of work done.
The grandmother clock is working again. Finally.
"Pity the nation whose breath is money
"What do the simple folk do / To help them escape when they're blue?"
"Have mercy on me, God, have mercy,
It's cold in Washington, D.C., literally and metaphorically. On Monday, one week after the frigid inauguration, it's 34 degrees at midmorning. But I have my puffy coat and beanie, and I'm actually wearing socks as I head out into the storied streets.
On the infrequent occasions when I go to the cemetery to visit my folks, I'm grateful they're there. I tidy up their areas and wipe their grave markers clean and leave some flowers. Some of my siblings do the same.
It's official: I have found yoga, or maybe yoga has found me.
God is for us a refuge and strength,
You may see my car with its Harris/Walz bumper sticker still attached driving down the street, and you may hate me. Truth be told, I'm not crazy about your Trump flag. I judge you for it. I think you must be a racist and a misogynist. And you think I'm a misguided woke snowflake.
The first Sunday of Advent is Dec. 1 this year. Just as the year is ending, Advent begins the new liturgical calendar for Catholics. There are four Sundays of Advent leading up to Christmas Eve. This year, it may seem that the planets have aligned, at least in a religious sense, because in a…
I'm riding in my daughter's truck in the middle of the backseat, a car seat on either side of me. My daughter is skillfully navigating the thousands of San Diego freeways required to get anywhere in this city.
The world has changed dramatically in the almost seven decades that I've been here. Standard practices in my childhood, for example, would border on child abuse today.
"This land is your land
It's that controversial time of year again, when updated flu shots are available, not to mention new COVID-19 vaccinations. As an old person, I am also supposed to get the pneumonia and shingles shots. Don't get me wrong: I believe in the necessity of vaccines. My husband and I vaccinated ou…
Banned Books Week begins today and runs through Sept. 28. This year's theme is "Freed Between the Lines."
My granddaughter, age 2, has introduced me to Bluey, a square-shaped cartoon puppy who lives in Australia with her dog family: her mom, dad and sister, Bingo. Bluey has everyday kid adventures and problems, concerning things like sharing, bedtime, manners, and patience.
"Never trust a man who doesn't like dogs."
"The problem with the world is that we draw the circle of our family too small."
My maternal grandma was full of Irish sayings, having one ready for every occasion. She said her words of wisdom were Irish, but they might have actually originated in New Jersey, which is where she lived most of her life.
The word in Italian that Pope Francis has lately used in closed door meetings to describe gay men in Italian seminaries and in the Vatican is "frociaggine." In English, this translates to a slur against gay people, which is how it is meant. Pope Francis apologized the first time he used this…
"Ultimately there is no such thing as failure. There are lessons learned in different ways."
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."
"Oh my gosh, it's almost Mother's Day!" my daughter says, a trace of dismay in her voice. "What would you like for Mother's Day?"
