Posts by Guest Author

Just recently, a friend indirectly reminded me of my short-lived experience in the St. Louis theatre scene. Moved by my daughter’s success in this genre, I was inspired to try my pen at it. At that time, I had thought the word was spelled playwrite. To my surprise, my first three efforts found their way to full production and the stage. My three subjects were dementia, abortion and suicide. Of the three, my third remains my favorite. While there have been…

I stopped and paused while looking at the day’s Sports section of my newspaper. Trying to avoid reading about baseball in Chicago these days, I gravitated to the medal counts for the Olympics. Then it occurred to me – why do I care about medal counts? Does knowing the US has more medals than Sri Lanka actually mean anything to me? I paused, noting how many times over the years I spent time on this same endeavor. I don’t remember the medal count in…

 And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and…

One of the great preachers through whom God really speaks to me is the famous American preacher Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. His anointed words still touch my heart and give me God’s saving perspective in my life. Holy Week is a splendid opportunity for us to let people like Fulton Sheen journey with us. This famous creator and host of several television and radio programs throughout the American country has alot to teach us concerning the Holy Week. To…

Lent is upon us. Many take the opportunity to grow closer to our Lord by taking on extra penances, fasting a little more often, or perhaps allotting additional time for prayer and devotion. Lenten practices are meant to establish more permanent spiritual habits that will continue long after the celebration of the Easter Vigil. Turning toward St. Therese, the Little Flower, can yield an abundance of spiritual fruit and instill lifelong habits, responding to the invitation of Jesus, “for everyone who asks, receives;…

In days gone by, many thought of holiness as something only for priests and nuns. While it is certainly true that our clergy and religious are called to be holy and should make it a central pursuit of their lives, it is the same for every Catholic, whether bishop, priest, deacon, religious, or lay person! The Catechism of the Catholic Church says of holiness: “The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from…

By Deacon Steve Greco We are all called to be saints. The only alternative is too awful to think about: an eternity separated from God. In order to become saints, we must pursue holiness in our lives. We must seek to live authentic Catholic lives, seeking God’s will in all we do. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says of holiness: “The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me’ … Jesus is the model…

By Fr. Charles Irvin In the Acts of the Apostles (6:1-7), we hear about the first deacons. They were ordained by the overburdened Apostles who needed their help in caring for and providing services for the growing number of Christians in their communities. It’s interesting to note that the Apostles ordained deacons before the first priests were ordained. Such was the importance of service in the minds of the Apostles. Today, many pastors of large parishes are overburdened and need the help…

By Fr. Charles Irvin What I want to say to you is that you are significant in God’s great scheme of things. Let me point out two things about each one of you. Each one of you has his or her own completely unique DNA coding. No one who ever was, or who is living now, or whoever will live in the future can have your DNA coding. You are completely one of a kind. No one else will ever…

By Deacon Gregory Webster I love this season of the year. I love the crispness in the air and the colors of the leaves changing. While I don’t like the shortening of our days, I like how nature is telling us that time and change stop for no one. The Church is in accord with this changing of the seasons. As we see “death” in the green foliage of summer fading away, our Sunday Gospels have also returned to the theme of…

By Vincent Ryan Ruggiero The hatred of Jews is manifest once again in the massacre of hundreds of Israelis, including unborn children slashed from their mother’s wombs and beheaded before their parents’ eyes. Equally disgusting are the gleeful celebrations of that barbarism that took place around the world. Ancient facts rush once again to mind. The Son of God was Himself a Jew as were his ancestors. A Jewish woman carried him in her womb, nursed him, loved him more…

By Vincent Ryan Ruggiero Most of us are still struggling to grasp the enormity of the recent attacks on Israel by Hamas. We heard the reports and saw the pictures of what was done to civilians. Families butchered in their beds. Babies decapitated and burned alive with parents forced to watch. Men massacred. Women dragged away, gang raped, slashed, and beaten to death. And the absurd irony is that the perpetrators who slaughtered “God’s chosen people” believed God was directing them…