Over seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah contributed a biblical message that foretold the coming of the Son of God, the blessed Incarnation celebrated in recent weeks once again. Teachers often note the remarkable nature of prophetic revelation—historic events prophesied centuries before they took place. Seven centuries is a long time to wait for fulfillment. Seven hundred years is a long time, period. For example, in the first decade of the fourteenth century, the ink on the historic pages of St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica was still somewhat damp, and—as was true for a season of Church history—the Pope was seated in Avignon, not Rome....read more

He Wrote the Book ...read more

The call came over the department store intercom. An anxious youngster had become separated from her parents and would remain in the store office until she could be reunited with them—safe, but more than a little frightened. While her parents hurriedly made their way to the management floor, the assistant manager and a security guard provided some candy and a smile. To the child it was far from ideal. The security guard wasn’t Dad, and the assistant manager wasn’t Mom. In a busy toy department, she had innocently taken another lady’s hand. Same reassuring touch, same watch on the wrist, even the same coat. But a different face, different lady, and a long way from home.. . .read more

Prayers of the Saints: St. Thomas Aquinas ...read more

Who hasn’t come home from a long day and exchanged this typical greeting with a loved one or friend: “So, what did you do today?” The fortunate are granted time to unload the burdens of the day, and the most loving make sure they invest time to hear about a companion’s day as well. “Was it a good day for you?” Well, what separates a good day from a bad one anyway? “Did it go well?” Again subjective, answers often reflect the sense that a good day followed a fairly predictable pattern, maybe challenging very little, perhaps rewarding a bit more.. . .read more

One Missing Piece ...read more

One of the more enduring truths of ministry in the local parish is the number of ways God uses people and their interests in the work of the kingdom. Care-givers, teachers, coaches, singers, musicians, artists—and those with skills as diverse as carpentry and computer programming—are encouraged to share their talents and abilities with their fellow parishioners. On occasion, the Scriptures detail the calling of servants and disciples who invest their vocational abilities to yield a spiritual good. The Gospel of Mark opens with a perfect example.. . .read more

Give to the Lord ...read more