I was raised in the country, far away from the glare of city lights. It's dark in the country, real dark. Some nights, bereft of moonlight, are pitch black dark. It's no exaggeration to say that you can't see your hand in front of your face at...
During spring break, two college friends and I drove to Florida to stay with my parents, who were vacationing there. My buddies and I drove my dad's car to a beach two hours away to meet up with friends. I went swimming in the ocean with the car...
When I was young, my Uncle John, the family genealogist, told me that Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts was my ninth cousin. As an avid baseball fan, I was over the moon about it. For the record, a ninth cousin means that Robin and I...
I introduced in yesterday’s Prayers from the Cloud the first of the seven Great Antiphons. These "O Antiphons," as they are sometimes called, originated in the ninth century as titles for Jesus sung and recited during Advent as monks remembered...
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is a Christmas carol that originate from our great “cloud of witnesses.” The hymn dates to the ninth century or earlier when monks chanted the Great Antiphons or O Antiphons in evening vespers during Advent to prepare for...
He was born into a poor sharecropping family in a small Italian town. He was one of fourteen children who joined their parents in the fields to earn their keep. Angelo Guiseppe Roncalli (1881-1963) was never a rich man. At the time of his death, he...
Once upon a time, there was a king who loved a humble maiden. She had no royal pedigree; she lived in a hovel, the humble abode of a peasant. But the king fell in love with her the way kings sometimes do. This put the king in something of a bind....
How do you respond to the question, "Are you born again?" Some of us comfortably identify ourselves this way to express our commitment as true followers of Jesus and not just nominal ones. Others are wary of using the loaded phrase, as it has come...
The bubonic plague struck with force in Wittenburg, Germany in 1527. Wittenburg University faculty and many prominent citizens relocated to safer areas. Reformer Martin Luther was one of the lone holdouts who decided to stay put and sent a pastoral...
Nativity plays for children have long been a staple of churches during the Christmas season. I participated in nativity dramas as a child. I was never chosen to play the lead role of Joseph since I couldn't be trusted to remain at Mary's side...
Connie Ruzich was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to research lesser-known poetry written in England during World War I. The irony is not lost on me that soldiers endeavored to write beautiful poems despite the ravages of war. One poem Connie...
John's gospel doesn't commence with a baby in a manger or angels singing glory to God, or shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. John's starting point is creation itself, "In the beginning was the Word” (John 1.2). Genesis begins the...
We need to talk about depression during Advent. December brings diminishing daylight and colder temperatures to drive us indoors. Add to it unrealistic expectations about Christmas or nostalgia about holidays from long ago. Despite the traditional...
The Christmas story is full of paradoxes. You may recall from English class that a paradox is a seemingly contradictory statement that, upon further reflection, makes sense (the Greek word for paradox means "to think beyond"). Consider the paradox...
John 3.16 is the world's most popular Bible verse. It is searched online two million times monthly the world over. Martin Luther called it "The heart of the Bible, the gospel in miniature." Love is an essential attribute of God. While we have only...
Believers are often exhorted to wake up in Scripture. Spiritual lethargy is a killer sin that can undermine life with God. Paul writes to Christians in Rome, “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber” (Rom. 13.1). Paul writes...
There is something in me that wants to clear Thomas' name. People through the ages have hung on this apostle the derogatory label "Doubting Thomas" for his caution concerning reports that Jesus had been raised from the dead, "Unless I see the nail...
It’s called the “Rule of Three.” People understand ideas and concepts best in groups of three. In writing, the Rule of Three serves as an essential storytelling principle. In comedy, the Rule of Three fits with a classic joke structure. In nursery...