During Lent, many of us like to participate in the Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or, in Latin, the Via Crucis.
It consists of a number of “stations” along which we can retrace the footsteps of Jesus Christ during his passion and death.
During Lent, many of us like to participate in the Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross or, in Latin, the Via Crucis.
It consists of a number of “stations” along which we can retrace the footsteps of Jesus Christ during his passion and death.
To the editor:
As we hear about and discuss the serious and continuing sex scandal within the Catholic Church, let’s start by placing the blame where it belongs — squarely on the failed leadership of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The failure has been caused by a lack of true leadership skills and being controlled by vanity and arrogance.
Robert K. Greenleaf was an advocate for Servant Leadership, and in the worldwide history of mankind, the greatest example of a servant leader was Jesus Christ. Jesus was critical of the Pharisees stating in Matthew 23: 2-3, 5, “The scribes and the Pharisees have succeeded Moses as teachers; therefore, do everything and observe everything they tell you. But do not follow their example . . . All their works are performed to be seen.”
In awe, my five-year-old son peered over the pew during the Consecration, the most holy part of the Mass during which the host and the wine become the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Normally my youngest can be a bit rambunctious during Mass, but we try to pull him aside and point out the miracle before us at each Consecration.
“The priest, in persona Christi, is asking the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus right now,” I whispered into my son’s ear. “Look! He’s holding up Jesus!”
Dear Friends,
We find ourselves in the wake of an election season that has divided our country, broken friendships, and even estranged families to an extent I’ve never witnessed in my life.
Now, engaging in and taking the human science/art of politics seriously is an objectively good thing.
But that anyone would or could allow their politics, a candidate, or an election to keep them from talking to a friend or loved one, for any period of time, or to “unfriend” someone is beyond my comprehension.
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By now everyone in the world knows that Pope Francis offered a lengthy and wide-ranging interview to the editor of Civilta Cattolica, which was subsequently published in 16 Jesuit-sponsored journals from a variety of countries.
To judge by some media coverage, the Church is in the midst of a moral and doctrinal revolution, led by a pope bent on dragging the old institution into the modern world.
I might recommend that everyone read what Pope Francis actually said. For what he said is beautiful, lyrical, spirit-filled, and in its own distinctive way, revolutionary.
The first question to which the pope responded in this interview is simple: “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio (his given name)?” After a substantial pause, he said, “a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.”
When the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became incarnate on earth, in Jesus Christ, He became the most perfect Way that the God could communicate with us humans.
God had communicated since the creation of human beings. God did this, first of all, through nature: human beings could simply look on the greatness of the natural world about them and be led to the knowledge of God.
I met a young priest in Fairfax, Va., last week. Of course “young” is a relative term. Everyone around me gets younger with each passing year.
Father Jaffe had been at the parish for less than a week and was the priest on call for the local hospital. It was 2 a.m. when his pager went off. A couple had lost their eight-year-old son hours before and the mother wouldn’t let go of his body.
All attempts of the staff and hospital chaplain to get her to release her son had failed. She sat rocking him, unresponsive to anyone. The woman wasn’t Catholic, but the staff knew from experience that it was time to call in a priest.
When the newly ordained 26-year-old arrived, he did the only thing that came to mind. He sat with the parents in silence for a moment and said, “It looks like you need some prayer.” He opened his rite book, The Pastoral Care of the Sick to the section with the prayers for the deceased and he began to pray aloud.
