Monday, April 3, 2017093During this Lenten season, the refrain after the reading from the prophets has warned us, “If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts!” This warning has a two-fold difficulty. In the first place, it is hard to discern just what God’s voice sounds like and in what circumstances God wants to capture our attention.
Wednesday, February 15, 20170608Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. there was a triple knock on the door of the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Who was knocking? It turned out to be the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, the Most Rev. Edward J. Burns, recently of the rainy slopes of Juneau, Alaska, now seeking to bring a new spirit of renewal to Texas.
Tuesday, January 10, 2017098After a not too long wait, our diocese has been informed that our next leader will be coming down to these parts from the state of Alaska. This announcement has stirred up some powerful memories from my past.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016068One of the most powerful memories of my trip to the Soviet Union in 1972 was a visit to an Orthodox church on the feast of the Assumption (they called it the Feast of the Dormition of Mary).
Friday, October 21, 20160113Sometime in my early scholastic years, I developed a sense that education was a competitive game. One was asked to know the correct answers to questions. It was not of primary importance that one knew all the ins and outs of what was being asked. What got you points was the precise, correct answer.
Wednesday, March 2, 20160303Pope Francis has come and gone. He was like Halley’s Comet, which has a predicted schedule. It comes and everyone in the world has to reflect on what this celestial occurrence might predict; but then things settle down to a normal routine.
A long time ago, I was watching the Miss America Pageant during the part of the contest when the finalists were asked what was their greatest wish. Without exception the answers were similar....for world peace...for a healing for cancer.....for the end of violence....for food for the starving...etc.
Friday, December 18, 20150120As the great feast of Christmas rushes in on us like a tsunami, many people are crying out in despair of ever having enough gifts purchased or of placing adequate decorations to festoon their houses or of baking cookies enough for their parties and dinners.
Friday, October 30, 20150194It is a good and holy custom to honor them. My connection with them stems from the great devotion of my great aunt, Annie Pruitt. She was a school teacher who demanded effort and results from her students. She also was devoted to her family and spent much money and many hours of physical labor in the cemetery at Laneville, Texas. To this...
Friday, October 23, 2015089During the funeral of the great Yankee catcher, Yogi Berra, the archbishop of New York said that Yogi and Pope Francis had three outstanding qualities that they shared. They both smiled a lot. They both liked to talk to real people. They both were humble.
