A lightning bolt hit our school during a storm last weekend. Such an energy current can cause lots of damage and jolt us from normal patterns of living. Ironically, our school’s nickname is The Chargers and our mascot is a bolt of lightning held high by The Flash. In the line of Saint Paul on […]
According to famous accounts of the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, Jesus instructed him to rebuild His church. While taking hammer and nails to wood, the young future saint heard the command again and realized that Christ meant something altogether different. The church, over time, had dilapidated spiritually, and Francis was Our Lord’s chosen […]
Thirty years ago, Billy Joel sang: “Call me a joker, call me a fool, but right at this moment it’s totally cool…Sometimes I feel like I’m going too fast but don’t know how long this feeling might last…Darling, I don’t know why I go to extremes.” Most of us probably go to extremes at some […]
“…Then she gathered us all once more for the prayer she loved the best And those dear ole beads we had known so well were clasped to her dying breast And there we knelt by her beside in the hush of a starlit night While we prayed the words of the rosary our mother’s soul […]
Amidst peaceful protests, meaningful marches, raucous riots, and determined demonstrations across America, many young people are trying to sort out what really matters as they come to deeper understanding of racial injustice. Having sheltered-in-place a long time, we, citizens, have pent-up energy that is exploding. During confinement, we separated from societal clutter and chaos to […]
I suppose that every child views his/her mother as the most beautiful being on this side of eternity. I was no different. Hers was the beauty of a maternal god-figure. Of course, with the passage of time exterior beauty fades. As my mom gave birth to eleven children and raised us to adulthood while managing […]
Four hundred and fifty years ago, the great reformer, Charles Borromeo, had to face a horrible plague that spread to Milan, where he served as archbishop. Sometimes known as the Plague of Pestilence, it crippled the economy, devastated the food supply, brought sickness to half the citizens, and killed nearly twenty percent of the population, […]
Most of our Mays are marked by national events from the Kentucky Derby to Indy-500, international events from May Day to Cinco de Mayo, school events from proms to graduations, cultural events from May poles to May baskets, societal events from Mother’s Day to Memorial Day, sporting events from winding down the NBA to revving […]
The drive on 210 Highway from my residence in Kansas City’s northland to the places of my youth winds along the north side of the Missouri River. Once I pass by Pig’s Landing and Jackass Bend, I know that home is not far away. The pathway invariably conjures nostalgic thoughts in my brain and spirit. […]
“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste and remember what peace there may be in silence…” These words from Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata would be worthy ones to take with us as we slowly and cautiously emerge from our days of confinement this month. Some will emerge twenty-five pounds lighter and in better health; some […]
