Hearing of Paul and Silas singing God’s praises in jail makes me want to talk about a song I know. A song we all know. It goes: “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you.” It is a prayer, of course, but in fact it is a song. There have been thousands of musical settings created to sing it....

Immediately preceding the first of May, the Church celebrates the feast of a 16th-century pope whose memorial is particularly well-situated in such close proximity to a month dedicated to Mary.

Two friends went to Niagara Falls. They viewed the expansiveness of the falls from above. Then they went below, where they heard the water roar, as it tumbled over the edge and hit the rocks. As they stood there in awe and wonder, one said, “This has got to be the most unused source of power in...

In 1917, the world was at war and Europe was the battlefield. On the periphery, far from the centers of power, Our Lady chose to reveal her message of peace to three young shepherds in the Portuguese countryside. On another part of that periphery, in rural western Ireland, lived another boy...

“This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. A man can have no greater love than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.” Can we do this? How is this possible?

Recently, I’ve seen a commercial for a cable TV and the internet provider. It shows two friends moving heavy boxes looking pretty worn out, while their friend who is moving--is sitting comfortably--having a cool drink looking at her phone.

We are making ready for this year’s garden planting. We have some mint in the garden that scents the air whenever we weed around the plant – a sensory reminder that life and growth give hope and joy. Tending the garden is at times fun, rewarding, tedious, and laborious. I have to admit that I...

There is a scene in the movie "Shadow of the Hawk" here a young couple is climbing a mountain with the help of a guide, in a desperate attempt to flee from evil people. At one point, the young woman slumps to the ground and says, “I can’t take another step.” The young man lifts her to her feet...

A line in today’s first reading always fascinates me. An angry crowd attacks Paul and drags him out of the city, and stones him, leaving him for dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the city! Did he dust off his toga and sandals and rush back into the fray?...