I’ve recently had a number of conversations with my 2-year-old that have gone something like this: Daughter:  “Can I have one gold coin [referring to those very waxy pieces of chocolate covered in gold foil]?” Father:  “Not until after dinner.” Daughter:  “How about two gold coins?” Father:  [Turns head and laughs] Her innocence makes her hard to turn down.  And her bold asking makes me want to cave and give her a double-portion on the spot. These conversations have led me to wonder if I’m childlike enough in my prayer, especially if the following statements …

As we continue to celebrate the Easter mysteries, it is a time “for the community and the neophytes together to grow in deepening their grasp of the paschal mystery and in making it part of their lives through meditation on the Gospel, sharing in the Eucharist, and doing the works of charity… Through their experience of the sacraments they have received…they truly have been renewed in mind, tasted more deeply the sweetness of God’s word, received the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and grown to know the goodness of the Lord.  Out of this experience, …

Psalm 102:2: Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry come to you. I cry out. I want all my needs met. This is my childhood program for happiness that refuses to let go. But it must go for me to truly live! My ego will never be satisfied as it will always demand more. As I was sitting in prayer mulling over the psalm verse above, I heard a voice in my heart say, “Yes, I know your needs…but what about the needs of those around you? What if you tried to satisfy their needs …

Transformation is hard work.  I usually avoid it when I can. When I first entered my religious community, I was zealous and excited, and I would pray with Revelation 21:5, “See, I am making all things new.”   And I was elated about the newness.  Everything seemed beautiful and exciting.  It felt to me like the first birds singing on Easter morning. Then, as a second year novice, after I had moved in and out of several of our community houses and been in the formation process for a while, I was tired of movement and …

In the liturgies of the Paschal Triduum, our annual three-day observance of Jesus’ saving death and resurrection, we do ceremonies that are different from our customary weekly or daily celebrations, things that are a bit unusual, things we only do once a year.  When you participate in these holy rituals on these sacred days, you know that it’s not “business as usual.” This is certainly true of the Easter Vigil, the high point of the Triduum.  For one thing, it’s long, much longer than a typical Sunday service.  But that is the point.  The Easter …

Time is a funny thing. We say that time flies. We also say that time crawls. Sometimes, it seems that the days go by so quickly it’s difficult to really appreciate the gift that it is. From my vantage point, it seems that Lent just started and we’re already at the Triduum! The Triduum is both the shortest Liturgical Season and the longest continuous liturgical celebration – three days of prayer, reflection, and celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Perhaps it is the Church’s way to slow us down enough to recognize and …

For me, Holy Week has been for many years the most powerful liturgical experience of all. Part of this feeling comes from working with the RCIA for so long and part of it comes from the beauty of the liturgies themselves. They have so many deep and meaningful symbols that speak to what Christianity is all about. There are processions, incense, candles, darkness, foot washing, oil, water, and so much more. There are scripture readings about the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, the Passion narratives, the profound reading from Philippians about Jesus life and death, …

Like every year, it seems, Lent has flown by and is nearly over. Soon we will be celebrating the Paschal Triduum, our annual three-day observance of the paschal mystery of Jesus’ saving death and resurrection, the culmination and center of our liturgical year. Which days are the three days?  This is something often misunderstood.  Numerous times over the years I have read or heard people assert that the three days are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.  The Triduum is then presented as preceding Easter Sunday.  Not so.  “The Easter Triduum begins with the …

One of the pleasures in life I most enjoy is reading a good book or essay. When I began my work as a Director of Religious Education (DRE) at Immaculate Conception Parish in Dayton, my office was in the school between the two second-grade classrooms. After nearly a year there the two teachers and I were talking and one said to me, “You know, Dan, that for you the initials D R E means ‘Dan Reads Everything.’” I realized that they were speaking a truth that described me well: I love to read, to talk …

St. Joseph is known by such titles as Light of the Patriarchs, Guardian of the Virgin, and Protector of Christ.  He is a mighty example of everything that it means to be a father, a husband, and a man.  Yet, not a single spoken word is credited to him within the scriptures.  Perhaps there is a valuable lesson for us in this reality.  I have experienced so many pastors and directors of religious education who bemoan the fact that they cannot attract the male fellowship involvement they would like.  Perhaps men long for St. Joseph’s …