“Firma aquí.” “Sign here.” I glanced over the document written in Spanish legalese. “Secuestro” (“kidnapping”) and “rescate” (“ransom”) jumped off the page. My eyes bulged and my pulse quickened. Only three days earlier I had professed my first vows in Los Angeles;...
Each day I am at Belize Central Prison, I pray a Hail Mary during my walk from the youth facility to the rehabilitation center.1 Sometimes, I pray more than one. But at the very least, as soon as I part ways with Ian, my fellow Jesuit regent and companion, “Hail...
I never had much of a knack for photography. I don’t have any talent for original art design. I can’t conjure up magical scenes in my head and bring them to life. Neither the composition nor the color scheme you see displayed below come from my imagination....
The Baptism of Jesus Christ was pretty spectacular. A dove descended from Heaven and the voice of God could be heard. Fr. Danny Gustafson, SJ, reflects on the ways that God is similarly present at every baptism. Based on the readings for Sunday, January 9, 2022. What...
In a classic scene from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Scuttle the seagull tries to show Ariel how to use the “human stuff” she found in a shipwreck. He confidently explains that a fork (“dinglehopper”) is used to comb hair, while a tobacco pipe (“snarfblatt”) is a...
Matthew calls them “Magi” Everyone else skips them But nobody ever calls them “kings” Or “wise men” We did that. The later ones Who wanted to worship, to follow, Who couldn’t imagine foreign wisdom Or authority That wasn’t a monarch Or a man How we labor to squeeze...
When I got COVID, I had to start asking for things in a new way. Like so many, I was confined to my room for about one week. While the internet and good books, along with phone calls and Facetime, can occupy my time as much as anyone’s, during meal times I felt...
The Matrix was my first R-rated movie. For many millennials, myself included, the cyberpunk epic looms large. It’s been almost two decades since the last installment of the series: Reloaded and Revolutions were released in 2003. The Matrix Resurrections, released...
What leads you closer to God? Tucker Redding, SJ, reflects on the visit of the magi and how it shows us that God calls to each of us and in different ways. Based on the readings for Sunday, January 2, 2022. The Magi followed a star, how does God speak to you? Hi, I’m...
Another year is drawing to an end, but before we welcome 2022, we should spend some time reflecting on 2021. The Examen teaches us the importance of reviewing time so that we can learn to recognize where God has been present and active in our lives and acknowledge the...
