When it was released, I kept Bon Iver’s new song “Faith” on repeat. The optimistic strumming of an acoustic guitar and an angelic choir wrap the song in light, celebration, authenticity, and a sense of the sacred. For days, I sang along presuming it spoke truth. I...
John Henry Newman was canonized by Pope Francis on October 13, the anniversary of his famous conversion to Catholicism. The saint would undoubtedly have been amused by the reception of his works after his death. In his own life, Newman found himself criticized by...
Jesuits have always ventured in places others avoid. Ignatius ministered to prostitutes in Rome. Francis Xavier sailed to India and Japan. As Archbishop, Pope Francis famously visited Buenos Aires’ shantytowns. Eager to live up to my forebears, I jumped at the...
The Third and Fourth Weeks of the Spiritual Exercises has us reflect on the great pain of the death of Jesus and the joy in his resurrection. The common thread is that both of these events express the great love of God. This week Br. Mark Mackey, SJ, takes us through...
Today John Henry Newman was canonized as a Saint of the Catholic Church. Fr. Joe Simmons, SJ, reflects on how “outsiders” can help us recognize the beauty of what’s right in front of us. Based on the readings for Sunday, October 13, 2019. “Growth,”...
[This is a response to an article written by Daniel Mascarenhas, S.J. on September 30th titled “Should A Catholic Support the Border Wall?”] Should a Catholic support the border wall? If all we are talking about is a border wall, we are missing the main problem. The...
Migrants from many different places come to the desert in Nogales, Arizona looking for a way to provide for their families. They come running away from their beloved homeland because crime, unemployment, and lack of opportunities have made their lives unbearable. Many...
The Second Week of the Spiritual Exercises is all about getting to know Jesus. Br. Mark Mackey, SJ, guides us through how we get to know Jesus as a role model and a friend in this week’s episode of the Intro to the Spiritual Exercises. Who’s somebody that you...
Every morning as the sun begins to rise over the Kanuku Mountains just east of St. Ignatius Mission, twenty or so indigenous Guyanese faithful, from infants to elders, sit in their usual pews praying quietly. They all stand as Auntie Eva strikes the rusty metal...
Jesus never actually told us to believe in ourselves, but to believe in something, someone much greater than ourselves. Uli Covarrubias, SJ, reminds us how we truly achieve greatness in this week’s One-Minute Homily. Based on the readings for October 6, 2019....