The election of the pope is surrounded by ceremony and traditions, honed over the centuries. In 1996, Pope John Paul II changed some of the rules and procedures for the next papal election. The pope, as always, is elected by the College of Cardinals. Only those under the age of eighty may vote. The...
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I’ve been dating a woman for two years and am seriously considering asking her to marry me. My concern is that she’s not Catholic and I know my parents will be disappointed. I love her very much and would like to know if there’s anything I can do to help ease my parents minds?...
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How do we know when we receive the Holy Spirit? My brothers and I discovered something as we got older.  There’s a little bit of dad in us. Each time we catch ourselves using one of his gestures, expressions, or comments about a meal, we say, “I’m getting more like Dad!” Many laughs and...
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Are there right and wrong ways to pray? Think of all the ways that people communicate with one another: Post-its, cell phones, fax machines, letters, e-mail, voice mail, movies, videos and of course, the old reliable telephone. All are ways in which we enhance the most basic form of communication-talking. At times, some are...
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( Video and Discussion) What is the history and significance of prayer postures? There is a lot of talk these days about body language and how we communicate feelings, thoughts and moods by the way we position our body. Spiritual practices have intentionally used various postures and gestures in prayer. Our physical position and...
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Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16 In studying and praying with today’s scriptures I found a bit of a challenge.  Although the scriptures are strongly united in the image of sacramental marriage, I pondered that perhaps there was something deeper going on here and marriage is simply one example of this deeper teaching.  This...
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When and why was Sunday designated a day of rest? Before Sunday was designated as a day of rest by the emperor Constantine in the fourth century, it was already a special day in the life of Christian communities. Sunday had become a distinctive day because of its association with the day on which...
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