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| Fr. Gregory Ihm |
Celibacy has been the source of much recent conversation both in the Church, and those outside the Church.
With the recent sex abuse scandals and now the Amazon Synod, questions arise: Is celibacy a contributing part of the problem of sexual abuse? Is the shortage of priests due to celibacy? Is it an old practice that ought to be updated to fit the needs of the times?
Just imagine for a moment that you have no home. What will you do for meals today? Where will you shower? Where will you sleep? If you have children, how will you provide for them?
And how will you cope with being homeless tomorrow, next week, next month?
Such imaginations are distressing. Aren’t they? But let’s not allow these distressing imaginations to cause us to ignore the sad crisis facing so many children, women, and men: the crisis of having no place to call home.
Instead, let’s make an effort to better understand why this devastating crisis exists. And what we can do to help end it.
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This article is the second in a two-part series.
The second major theme was the problem of evil. Now, it has been said that all of theology commences with and ultimately centers around the issue of justifying the ways of God in the presence of great suffering; so in a way, the intense interest of young people in this question is another encouraging sign that they are eager to think theologically.
On October 26, I will be making a very long run through the Arizona desert. The Javelina Jundred (pronounced “havelina hundred”) is an intense 100-mile race that takes place each October.
What makes this race a “race” is not that one runner competes against a group of other runners. Instead, each runner competes against the clock and with their ability to withstand physical and emotional pain. All participants are given 30 hours to complete the course, so at its core, this race is about finishing not winning.
For the past year, I have been training for this race. I have worked one-on-one with a trainer. I have run five progressively more challenging races, tracked my food intake, and completed more night-time runs then I can count. I have every detail worked out, from what I will wear as I run through the desert at night to how much food I will consume at each aid station.
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This article is the first in a two-part series.
I just finished my second dive into the Reddit AMA world. One of the most popular websites in the world, Reddit is a forum for all sorts of online conversations and presentations.
The AMA (Ask Me Anything) is a 21st century version of the medieval quodlibetal questions, during which a game theology professor would entertain any inquiry that came from the floor.
Now, things are a bit cruder and more rough and ready on Reddit than they were in the universities of the Middle Ages, but you get the idea.
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During November, we celebrate the feasts of All Saints, All Souls, and Christ the King.
At the end of November, we also begin Advent, when we prayerfully, patiently await Christ’s birth.
All Saints’ Day is a holy day which we celebrate on November 1. We honor those who have been canonized and whom the Church declares are in Heaven.
To be recognized as a canonized saint, the Church first makes a lengthy examination of the candidate to determine if he or she is a person of heroic virtue.
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| Journey with Faith Deacon Lawrence Oparaji |
One of the most exciting things that happen in the fall is the Sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Donald Hying will travel to the corners of the diocese, imparting and strengthening the gifts of the Holy Spirit in many wonderful young people.
As part of these efforts and to help with preparations, recently Mary Kate Van Wagner and I were at the parish cluster of Patch Grove, Cassville, Bloomington, and Glen Haven, Wis., for a Confirmation retreat, which was amazing!
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Children require extensive support and protection to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They are uniquely dependent on their parents because they are particularly vulnerable.
Often they are unable to speak on their own behalf or effectively defend themselves from various forms of exploitation.
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St. Pope John Paul II, in his powerful encyclical letter Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”), challengingly said, “How can we fail to consider the violence against life done to millions of human beings, especially children, who are forced into poverty, malnutrition, and hunger because of an unjust distribution of resources between peoples and between social classes?
“And what of violence inherent not only in wars as such, but in the scandalous arms trade, which spawns the many armed conflicts which stain our world with blood?
“Go on without me!” I cried dramatically, my mud-soaked tennis shoes sliding helplessly along the slippery forest trail. “I’ll catch up!”
My family was on a backpacking trip heading toward a rustic cabin in the Porcupine Mountains in northern Michigan. The six of us each carried a backpack full of equipment we needed to survive the wilderness for a few days.
