In the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman (John 4: 4-42), Jesus is thirsty and says to the woman who has come to fetch water ...

Last Friday I was on Relevant Radio’s “The Inner Life” show with Chuck Neff.  We talked about the Gospel for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary...

Homily for the First Mass of Fr. Vincent Strand, S.J.  St. Bruno Parish, Dousman, WI -- June 5, 2016 1 Kings 17: 17-24;  Galatians 1: 11...

I was going to post a picture of the newborn Jesus in the manger, but most religious art does not do justice to the reality that the Son of ...

August 30 was the feast of St. Jeanne Jugan, the foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor. I celebrated Mass at St. Joseph’s Home in ...

The book of the prophet Hosea is one of my favorite books in the Hebrew Scriptures. I don’t recall ever reading it before I entered the Je...

 www.decorcarmeli.com According to the first chapter in the Acts of the Apostles , Jesus “was lifted up” in front of his follower...

In today's gospel ( John 15: 1-8 ) Jesus says "I am the vine, you are the branches."  It is another way of talking about t...

On the Second Sunday of Lent we always have the story of Jesus' Transfiguration. It brings to mind my 2006 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. ...

Today is the 41 st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision that legalized abortion in the United States. For Catholics it is a Day of...

I presided and preached at my Jesuit community’s Christmas celebration today. The readings were from the Mass During the Day: Isaiah 52: 7...

As far as I can determine, December 21 is the only day of the year when there is a Mass reading from Song of Songs , a title which basic...

One of my favorite images of the Blessed Virgin Mary is Our Lady of Czestochowa. Of course being 100% Polish could be a reason for this, a...

One of the talks I usually give on my retreats is about the perspective that death gives to life. Realizing that we are not going to live on...

I got up early this morning and spent about a half hour on the treadmill getting exercise both physically and spiritually as I prayed the ro...

I celebrated Mass at 8 AM today, the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, with the Discalced Carmelite Sisters in Flemington, NJ and the small co...

I'm preparing to celebrate Mass this evening at the Newman Center for the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.  Here's part of what ...

The symbol for the evangelist John is an eagle.  The theology of his gospel is soaringly high.  He begins his gospel writing about the Word...

Today is the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council.  Pope Benedict XVI chose this anniversary as the day on wh...