Holidays of Ordinary Times
As I turned the calendar from December to January, I had a familiar, sinking feeling. Compared to December, January looks bleak. It seems like a long time until festivities once again fill our days. At ...
Beauty comes to Ordinary Time
It happens every year. I am an overly avid collector of Christmas tree ornaments. All year, they stay stashed away on shelves in the closet, crammed in storage boxes in the garage, and tucked away ...
Giving in Ordinary Time
It happens all year -- the requests for donations for all manner of charitable causes. Pleas come in the mail from children's hospitals, medical researchers, religious communities, and educational ...
The paradox of Ordinary Time
Every year, as Advent and Christmas approach, I seem to have the exact same conversation with one of my students. When I ask how the semester is wrapping up, invariably one of my students will tell me ...
Racing through Ordinary Time
I spent last Sunday on the sidelines of a marathon cheering for thousands who accomplished something I respect -- but may never fully understand! The weather was stunning, the crowd was enthusiastic, ...
The future of Ordinary Time
My team did not make it to the World Series. They got close -- very close. Alas, the playoffs did not end well for them. I am not the most devoted fan since I usually do not follow the team's progress ...
Dressing up for Ordinary Time
For better or worse, my childhood days were lived before the age of the digital camera. So, I have shelves full of photo albums that tell the stories of my life. As is likely the case for many, Halloween ...
The stress of Ordinary Time
"Raising children is sacred work." We may expect to hear this in a homily, read it in an encyclical, or learn it from our own parents. Instead, this declaration can be found in the opening pages ...
