The Potlucks of Vatican II

The Potlucks of Vatican II

‘‘The Council’ is an abstraction and as such cannot be allowed to obscure the mix of forces and personalities that marked the Council.’’ 1   In What Happened at Vatican II by John O’Malley, SJ, he mentions that “council” is a bit of a misnomer. I suggest that the...
Laudate Deum: An Overview

Laudate Deum: An Overview

If Laudato Si’ was a gentle and pastoral invitation to care for creation, Laudate Deum is a visceral, prophetic call to conversion. Eight years after Laudato Si’s initial publication, Pope Francis once again takes on the looming challenges of the climate crisis that...
How Chaplains Heal the Beleaguered Self

How Chaplains Heal the Beleaguered Self

Prayer as the unveiling of the heart “Hi, I’m Chaplain James. Is there a way I can support you this morning?” The man had asked his nurse to page a chaplain, so I suspected that his looming surgery was weighing heavily on his heart, but I wanted to hear the request...
Pursuing Your Dreams: The Heart of One Piece

Pursuing Your Dreams: The Heart of One Piece

“I’m gonna be king of the pirates!” Time and again, Monkey D. Luffy, the protagonist of Eichiro Oda’s One Piece, states his dream and goal, no matter how outlandish it seems. Luffy holds onto the hope that he can find the fabled treasure known as the One Piece and...