PRE-PRAYERING | The Eucharist is a "Thanksgiving Sacrifice" in which we join the thanksgiving death of Jesus and in which we ask to be made an "ever-lasting gift" to God. In our celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy, we ...

There is a little phrase we use to describe someone getting caught in the act; we say, "He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar." One time I literally had this happen.||I was in a small kitchen in a Jesuit house and ...

Today in the United States we bring the quadrennial process of electing citizens to lead our government for two, four, or six years of service. This particular campaign process has been remarkably long, contentious and ...

Romans 15:14-21 "...'Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation, but as it is written: Those who have never been told of him shall see and ...

Prison letters are often profoundly moving and revealing. Think of Martin Luther King's letter from Birmingham Jail. Think of Father Alfred Delp, S.J., writing during his Nazi imprisonment. St. Paul, too, "did time" and ...

Lord, I have given up my pride and turned away from my arrogance,|| I am not concerned with great matters or with subjects too difficult for me.|Instead, I am content and at peace. |As a child lies quietly in its mother's ...

In today's hectic world it is easy to feel alone and isolated. We live in a world with many more people than in the time of our grandparents. Technology has brought many improvements to our lives, but it has also made many ...

In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.|Calls to die to self and give of self echo throughout the gospels. What strikes me new today is the connection between the ...

Today's first reading, from Romans, falls under the category of "The Duties of Christians" and is a marvelous reading. This reading reminds me of our connection to one another, of our interdependent need, of our contribution ...

There are several passages besides Luke, Chapter 14, in which Jesus either responds to requests for places of honor or makes observations of how persons of status choose the most prestigious places. But it doesn't seem ...