As May turns to June, schools close and pools open, baseball diamonds promise fields of dreams, lake activity multiplies and amplifies, summer vacations begin, and children frolic in an age of innocence.  As George and Ira Gershwin wrote, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy, fish are jump’n and the cotton is high.  Your daddy’s rich […]

“Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.  Enkindle in us the fire of your love!”  Approaching the annual Feast of Pentecost, we reflect upon the promise of Christ and gift of love that is the Holy Spirit.  John Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist Church, is sometimes credited with speaking about the passion of […]

On Saturday morning, June 3, 9:00-12, Saint Francis Xavier Parish will host a retreat entitled, “Violence in Our City.”  All are invited to come and participate.  The retreat, which will take place in the church sanctuary at 1001 East 52nd Street, will bring together people of goodwill and great hope who desire a more wholesome […]

The late Catholic author and historian, Thomas Cahill, once said, “Just as banks can make people poor, hospitals make them sick, and schools make them ignorant, so can churches make people evil—and the history of our church is embarrassingly full of examples.” A book club that I facilitate recently read and discussed David Kertzer’s The […]

About a decade ago, friends of mine attended a high school reunion at their all-boys Catholic school and met the first alumna: their transgendered classmate.   As society rapidly changes, many of us have a tough time keeping up.  Female alumnae of all-male schools are probably not a big issue for most people in modern times […]

Many of us are intrigued and, at the same time, agitated when hearing the story about Joseph fleeing from his homeland to another country, with his young wife and little son, seeking safety while being chased by murderous bullies.  Though the Holy Family may not have sought political asylum in any formal way, they were […]

The May retreat offerings at my spirituality center filled up quickly.  It tells me that people are eager to enhance their relationship with God and, subsequently, their relations with others.  These sessions will be a general, though brief, introduction to retreats through prayer, scripture, discussions about faith, and spiritual exercises.  Starting in June, we will […]

When Peter asked Jesus, “How many times must I forgive, seven times?”  He responded, “Not just seven but seventy times seven times.”  There may be a few different translations of the seven and seventy numbers but essentially the message remains the same.  Seven is a biblical and religious number pointing to human completion or perfection: […]

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus said to His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”  This scene occurs in a very busy chapter of miraculously feeding thousands of people, healing others, battling storms, enduring the death of John, contending with rejection, and additional challenges.  Christ sent them out in pairs to […]

Each spring as we recall the passion of Christ, we recollect His walk to Calvary and our own walk of destiny.  As He encountered good and bad people, from soldiers carrying out His execution and religious leaders demanding His death to those who sought to relieve His pain or who watched in horror, including His […]