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“The Magi Journeying” – James Tissot, Brooklyn Museum by Donal Anthony Foley – On Sunday, we celebrate the Epiphany, or manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, in the persons of the Magi, or wise men, whose presence is one of the most mysterious aspects of the whole nativity story. St. Matthew introduces the Magi in his Gospel as wise men from the East who have come to Jerusalem in search of the newborn King of the Jews. We are not told where they came from or how many they were, but are informed that their arrival caused a stir in Herod, and “all of Jerusalem with him” (Mt 2:3). We also learn that it is Herod who assembles the chief priest and scribes to learn more about where the Messiah is to be born and directs the Magi to Bethlehem. So who were the wise men? The Greek word for “wise ...

The commercial below is a reminder to all of us clergy who stand before the people of God each Sunday that they aren’t easily fooled. People know if we are genuine or if we are just saying things we think we ought to say or heard others say. They can tell if we really know the Lord and the truths we proclaim or if we’ve just studied them. No preacher can perfectly live the Gospel he preaches, but people know when clergymen are living double lives or are being inauthentic. They know when we are merely playing a role. They know when we are half-heartedly saying what we think we’re expected to say without really believing it—a lot like Pinocchio in the commercial. People also recognize when we are striving for holiness, really loving God and His people. They can tell whether we are men of pra...

There are so many wonderful details in the Epiphany story: the call of the Gentiles, their enthusiastic response, the significance of the star they seek, the gifts they bring, the dramatic interaction with Herod, and their ultimate rejection of Herod in favor of Christ. In this meditation, I would like to follow these Magi in their journey of faith to become “Wise Men.” As magi, they followed the faint stars, distant points of light; as wise men, they follow Jesus, who is the ever glorious Light from Light, true God from true God. We can observe how they journey in stages from the light of a star to the bright and glorious Light of Jesus Christ. And, of course, to authentically encounter the Lord is to experience conversion. All the elements of this story ultimately serve to cause them to ...

2 Minute Read Actor Jim Caviezel is most well-known for his role as Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, but in recent years he also starred in the popular CBS series entitled, Person of Interest, as well as the movie, Paul, Apostle of Christ. However, his career may have never gone anywhere if he did not have a providential encounter with Father Patrick Peyton in 1991. At the time Caviezel was a young actor in Hollywood, trying to make it big. He was having little success and didn’t know what to do. Then while driving down Sunset Boulevard he saw a sign that said “The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together.” Feeling spiritually lost, he knocked on the door to be greeted by an old priest. Caviezel asked to go to confession and the priest urged him to pray the Rosary and go to daily Mass...

 |  Jan. 3, 2020 Over 200 Members of Congress Urge Supreme Court to Reconsider Roe v. Wade The Court, the lawmakers say, should “again take up the issue of whether Roe and Casey should be reconsidered and, if appropriate, overruled.” Matt Hadro/CNA. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of a Supreme Court hearing, more than 200 members of Congress have signed on to support Louisiana’s abortion regulations, and have asked the Court to address Roe’s “unworkable” finding of a “right to abortion.” 39 senators and 168 members of the House representing 38 states signed on to an amicus brief filed on Thursday by Americans United for Life, in the case of Gee v. June Medical Services, LLC. The brief argues that Louisiana’s safety regulations on abortion clinics are constitutional. ...

Since one of my New Year’s resolutions is to be more authentic, I admit that the fun title for this post came from a little framed art piece I spotted in the aisles of JoAnn Fabrics. While I would prefer to confess my inspiration springs from all that Kierkegaard, Tolstoy, and Shakespeare I’ve been poring over lately (NOT!) or the endless hours minutes spent in daily prayer and reflection… I’m certain God continues to seek this undeserving soul’s attention. And He will undoubtedly work with what He has. Sometimes that’s the clearance section of a big-box fabric store. The pithy little saying painted on a rustic white-washed backdrop gave me a chuckle, not simply because they expected some schmuck to shell out $10 for a farmhouse chic clearance item, but because it struck a chord. I tend to...

For weeks I prayed and prepared.  I taught my youngest how to address him. I wiped baseboards and dusted chandeliers.  I planned a menu that didn’t overestimate my cooking abilities but seemed worthy of the extraordinarily special guest.  I polished silver and curated a jazz playlist just hours before I set out the tray of Brie cheese and fig preserves for a simple yet not-so-everyday appetizer. It started out just as I had hoped.  We sipped our wine and laughed together in the usual get-acquainted rhythms.  Our youngest son child sat cozily at our kitchen bar tucked between our Bishop, visiting our home for the first time, and one of our dear priest friends. Then, it happened. The child leaned forward and stuck out his little tongue (in good Communion form, I will...

I open our New Year’s Eve late night Mass (11:15 PM) with the observation that we begin Mass in one year and end in the next. New Year’s Eve highlights the mysterious passage between years. In a way I suppose it is no more mysterious than the passage from Thursday to Friday or from 10:00 AM to 10:01 AM. In one sense, nothing could be simpler than time. I might ask you, “What time is it?” You might reply, “It’s 1:15.” Simple! But time has mysteries about it. What is time? Some say it’s merely a measure of change. But that doesn’t really make a lot of sense because change doesn’t occur at a steady pace at all. Some say it’s just another way of measuring distance in the space-time continuum. Time and distance are certainly related. To look out at the stars at night is to look into the past; i...

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