Joy, An Inexpensive Gift

            We are filled with great joy when we bring someone else a little joy and happiness. Bishop Anthony Pilla once told us Cleveland religious that we ought to practice the diaconate of humor.  A deacon is someone who serves. One way we serve others by creating humor. St. Padre Pio said, “Serve the Lord […]

A Modern Day Holy Woman (Part II)

As editor of the Christ Our Life textbook series, I once lived in Chicago to facilitate reaching the publishing deadline. For two weeks I lived in a convent that was a bus ride away from the publishing house. Then for the remaining eight weeks, Father Flaherty, the Jesuit director of the company, located a place […]

Who Are You? A VIP

This past Saturday I gave a Spirit Day retreat to forty-six eighth graders. I told them that I had recently watched the movie “The Lion King” again. In it Simba’s father states this memorable line to his son:  “Remember who you are.”  Simba is from a line of kings who someday will be responsible for […]

Presenting the Face of Jesus

No doubt you’ve heard of the 80-year-old woman in Spain who recently turned a valuable fresco of Jesus into an unrecognizable blur. The thought occurred to me that this is a metaphor for what we sometimes do. We attempt to be Jesus for the world–other Christs. Our intentions are good. But then we make a […]

How to Be a Gentleman or Gentlewoman

In his book The Idea of a University Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman defined a gentleman as “one who never inflicts pain.”  (Of course, this also holds true for a gentlewoman.)  I was going to write about what this means, but in checking to see if I remembered his words correctly, I discovered that this […]