Early on in our faith formation, we learn about the cross. We hear about the cross of Jesus, and all the suffering he endured for our sake. We learn that Easter only comes after Good Friday. We learn that the Resurrection and the Life of the Risen Lord only follow the Read more
In today’s Gospel (Mark 8:22-26), people brought him a blind man, begging that He lay his hands upon him that he might regain his sight. After Jesus performs the miracle of restoring this man’s sight, Mark tells us: his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly. Surely, many Read more
In Mark’s Gospel, as elsewhere, we hear Jesus refer quite often to the human heart. One such passage we read during Mass earlier this week when Jesus quoted the Prophet Isaiah: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship Read more
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ: As you are most undoubtedly aware, on January 20, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services announced its decision not to expand the unacceptably narrow “religious employer” exemption to its mandate that virtually all health insurance plans must include, as so-called Read more
In light of the present (appropriate) uproar in most Catholic circles in response to the recent HHS Mandate, much of our immediate focus has been on the issue of the present Administration overstepping the constitutional boundary and intervening in the right of the Church to practice its faith, and honor Read more
We are presented with some great Scripture in today’s Mass. For me, these passages offer insights to the greatness of God, in His uncanny and mysterious capacity to “make Himself small” so that we may experience His presence and love. To put these passages into perspective, I offer first the Read more
Today, in Cheyenne, we celebrate the anniversary of the dedication of our Cathedral, The Assumption of our Blessed Mother. The readings for such an occassion recall from Matthew the encounter between Jesus and his disciples when he asks them: “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” It is at this Read more
Homily for the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B. The Opening Prayer from Mass this weekend asks: “Grant us, Lord our God, that we may honor you with all our mind, and love everyone in truth of heart.” We are called to give our adherence to God, to God’s Read more
On August 1, 2011, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an “internal final rule” to require virtually all private health plans to include coverage for all FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, and female sterilization procedures. Among these prescription contraceptives are drugs which are known to induce abortion. All Read more
I recently ran across a quote on the website for Salt & Light TV, the Catholic Television Network in Canada. It is a brilliant, hope-filled message addressed by Vaclav Havel in 1990 as he greeted John Paul II and welcomed him to Prague, Czechoslovakia shortly after that country’s liberation from Read more