Sunday, May 15, was the feast of Sts. Isidore and his wife Maria, the patrons of farmers and rural life. They lived in Spain near Madrid in the 11th century, and worked as agricultural laborers, their lives marked by a deep Catholic faith, an intense piety, a love for the poor and for nature, as well as a strong work ethic.
Category: Bishop
Growing our relationship with the Eucharist
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is launching a three-year National Eucharistic Revival with a mission “to renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist” and a vision of “a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist — and sent out in mission for the life of the world.”
Be strong, keep going
Every time I pray the Stations of the Cross, I linger at the seventh one, “Jesus Falls the Second Time.” Not one of the more dramatic moments on the cruel path up to Calvary, this second fall, nevertheless, is a crucial point in the unfolding of salvation history.
‘On the third day, he rose again’
Studying history gives us a sense of inevitability regarding the outcomes of particular events.
Looking at today’s Church in the diocese
Currently, every vicariate in the diocese is meeting with me to give an update on the Go Make Disciples initiative in the parishes.
Looking ahead to the diocese’s future
Currently, every vicariate in the diocese is meeting with me to give an update on the Go Make Disciples initiative in the parishes.
Praying for Mary’s intercession
This Friday, March 25, the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope Francis will consecrate both Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; he has asked all of the bishops in the entire world to do so in tandem with him, ideally at the same hour.
An ‘interview’ with the Prodigal Son
I often have wondered what an interview with the Prodigal Son would reveal to us, so I imagined it would go something like this:
A full picture of the Good News
During Lent, I am reading one chapter of Scripture every day, starting with John’s Gospel. Reading one of the Gospels sequentially gives one a full picture of the Good News, the whole story of Jesus Christ, each with a different perspective.
Do not lose hope
We live in a difficult moment in which many people are tempted to lose hope. The ongoing challenges of the pandemic, the dissatisfaction many people feel about the direction of our country, the loss of faith in political leaders, the lack of immediate solutions to many of our problems, the erosion of our institutions, the surge of violence and crime all lead to a common, bleak outlook when we survey the human situation.