Last week I spent three days in St. Paul on the campus of the University of St. Thomas, at the Center for Catholic Studies, with a very talented group of people exploring the serious possibility of beginning an Institute on Integral Ecology. The genius behind this idea is Dr. Christopher Read more…
We come together today to praise God for his creative genius. We come together today to proclaim once again that all life is good, and that every human life is very good. Every human life from the moment of conception is a sign of God’s free choice to bring forth Read more…
Today’s Gospel from Mark recalls Jesus walking through a field of grain with his disciples. How often did Jesus utilize the surrounding beauty of creation to be the backdrop, the ‘classroom’ for instructing the disciples? He used references to creation often to refer to God and the wisdom of God’s Read more…
As a new Advent season begins, our readings draw attention to creation. From references to ‘the mountain of the Lord,’ (Isaiah 2: 1-5) to trees, branches, and fruit, (Isaiah 4) to the creatures of the earth that learn to live together in peace, (Isaiah 11) we are reminded of the Read more…
HOMILY: 12th Sunday Ordinary Time, Year B In our first reading today from the Book of Job, God asks Job: “Who created the sea, setting its limits, clothing it with clouds and darkness?” It is a facetious question, as God is clearly Creator and Lord of all things. God questions Read more…
Yesterday evening I was aware of restlessness within me. I was anxious about many things. (Luke 10:41) This last three months has been without a doubt a very full stretch, and the demands of today and tomorrow are not diminished. As is typical with the spiritual life, when we grow Read more…
In the Gospel today (Luke 12:49-53) Jesus tells of his desire to set the earth ablaze with a fire. He says something else that seems contradictory to His person and message: “I have come for division.” In reality, Jesus does not come to bring division, but His presence and message Read more…
Here is an article I wrote this summer for our Catholic Rural Life Magazine. The Beauty of Being; The Wonder of Creation The next time you sit down for a meal, take just a moment to be still; pray and give thanks to the God of all creation. Then, ask Read more…
For Christmas, I received a book about a woman pioneer in Wyoming during the early 20th century. The book is entitled Letters of a Woman Homesteader. It is a series of letters written by Elinore Pruitt Stewart to a dear friend in Denver. As I read these letters, I was Read more…
Today, I discovered another marvelous way to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation; snowshoeing. With all of four and a half hours of sleep after last night’s marvelous Midnight Mass, I began the day with some quiet time and prayer. I then joined two friends for a late breakfast and Read more…