The Christian calendar is a curious thing. At times, it is an oddity. Here are some examples. After a day of feasting and family on December 25, December 26 commemorates the martyrdom of St. Stephen. And, tomorrow, on the Fourth Day of Christmas, the Church remembers “The Holy Innocents” (a great NYT op-ed on that
Category: Spiritual
Stephen Colbert and Anderson Cooper on Grief
If instability was a familiar topic in your childhood, you may want to watch the interview below. If instability was not a familiar topic in your childhood, the interview may help you understand better those who did experience such a time. And, if not, it’s still worth watching: it’s very earnest and soulful. It’s Anderson
The Spiritual Steelhead Journey
Steelhead fly fishing is everything they say: It’s freezing, mentally and physically challenging, and full of long stretches of boredom. Rarely, there is a moment of chaos when a fish is on. Steelhead are two- to three-feet long and are absolute brutes. Words cannot explain how tough it is to land one, particularly without a
Rest in Peace: Fr. John Sassani
I don’t know when I first met Fr. John, but I knew that I liked him right away when I did. I’m sure I had met him at Mass when he had just arrived. Our parish was going through some tough times, with two pastors coming and going and a lot of conflict internally about
Mardi Gras 2019
Today is Fat Tuesday. Tomorrow, Lent kicks off with Ash Wednesday and introduces a few months when some of us are encouraged to pray, fast and give alms. Every spiritual or religious practice out there encourages an episodic fast. For me, I find it valuable. It is refreshing to do with less in an ad
‘Glory Deflectors’
After the Super Bowl, Patriots team captain Matt Slater was interviewed. He was wearing a baseball cap that said “Glory Deflectors.” Curious, I hit Google and found this interesting article about the team’s character coach Jack Easterby. It is no secret that head coach Bill Belichick leaves no stone unturned. The team has it own charter