It is going to take us a long time to forget the pandemic. May we not forget some of the things it has taught us, either. On one hand, there is “the self-giving and generosity of health care workers, volunteers, support staff, priests, and religious men and women.” On the other, there’s the importance of…
Sculpture above: Basilica of Mary Magdalene at Vézelay – ‘the hanging of Judas and the Good Shepherd’. At the top of the first capital on the right as you walk in, there us a sculpture few people know about, partly because of where it is: 20 metres from the ground. When seen close up, it…
The concern of the Church cannot and should not be that of the prestige of the community and its ministers. It cannot and should not be its social influence, that is, a desire to “matter”, to be “relevant” on the world stage, in society, or in places of power. It cannot and should not be…
Once again we come with new information and a theme that is inspiring and fundamental: The Word of God in the synodal journey. We are in a process of listening, in which we must be attentive to the Word like Mary. This Word will encourage and guide us in our journey as a pilgrim Church….
Cherry blossoms remind us to appreciate life, beauty and the other moments and things we encounter while we have them, either in spite of or because of the fact that they will end. And as the falling petals teach, even the end can be beautiful. The Japanese phrase for this is mono no aware (the “alas” of…
It is tempting to think of Jesus’s parables as timeless, unvaryingly true for every age; it’s a temptation I find myself resisting in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A process of what one might call ‘postmodern contextual reframing’ has been going on in my mind, with the result that it is still a powerful…
While the war in Ukraine continues to kill military personnel and civilians and to displace millions of people, Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. To highlight the critical and international dimensions of the situation “Pope Francis has invited the bishops of the whole world, along with their priests,…
Once a missionary, always a missionary! The call never ceases, even in retirement homes where old missionaries live with memories of what answering the call had been. The joy and grace of past service can be reawakened and experienced in new ways. This happened recently at what seemed an ordinary event — the retirement of one chef…
The American Jewish Committee, Westchester Jewish Council, and the Westchester Human Rights Commission co-hosted the multi-faith prayer ceremony. Additional prayer services are being planned at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Yonkers. Willem Klaver MHM View short video
Our image of Saint Joseph, our patron, needs refurbishing. For many he is just a silent background figure, bodyguard of Mary and Jesus, breadwinner, obedient and accommodating. And a dreamer. But “Joseph’s influence on his son may have been more important than we have recognised”, Jose Pagola says in his celebrated book JESUS (pg. 67…
The Just Man Whenever I go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I want to visit “the tomb of the just man” in Nazareth. It is about a hundred yards away from the Church of the Annunciation. The Sisters of Nazareth, in the mid-1800, bought a piece of land for building a school. The landowner…
Hans Burgman MHM who died yesterday was a creative visionary. In an interview with the Dutch Missionary Agency ‘Mensen Met een Missie’ he reflected on what he saw as missed opportunities in the history of the Church. He likes to come straight to the point. Thus he begins about all the missed opportunities in the…
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