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I have a working fireplace at home, a comforting convenience in the cold, dark days of winter. It’s not used often, but mostly during the holidays or when I have visitors.
A few weeks back, when …
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1/17/19
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Of happy memory. It’s a beautiful little phrase often used to recall, fondly, the life and legacy of a recently deceased loved one. And it’s the phrase that has come to mind these days as I’ve …
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1/10/19
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Like lots of other little kids, when I was growing up I had some pets at home. I have to confess, though, that I wasn’t very creative in naming them. In fact, I was pathetic. I had a little black …
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12/20/18
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There are lots of things to dislike about winter – the cold, the ice, the snow, the dangerous driving conditions, and the darkness the season imposes upon us. Yes, the darkness.
Lots of people …
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12/13/18
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Driving around town these days can be a really frustrating experience. So many roads are under construction, and detours, closed ramps, merging lanes, concrete barricades and orange barrels are …
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12/6/18
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One of the beautiful traditions still kept by many devout Catholics is praying “The Morning Offering” at the beginning of each day. While there are many variations of the prayer, I think the most …
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11/29/18
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I recently saw a “Dennis The Menace” cartoon that has Dennis sitting next to his grandfather looking at a photo album, and observing wisely: “Ancestors are important . . . Without them, we’re …
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11/22/18
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“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” These words of Jesus, found in St. John’s Gospel, are well known to us. But they also seem to fit the agenda of a young woman who recently gave …
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11/15/18
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In our desire to grow in the imitation of Christ, nothing is more helpful or important for Catholics than the Holy Eucharist. It is the gift of Jesus, always with us.
St. John Paul II wrote of …
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11/8/18
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A few weeks ago I was driving to work when I got caught in a horrendous traffic jam, a back-up caused by a two-car accident further down the highway.
While sitting there stewing, growing …
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11/1/18
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In going through some personal effects recently, I came upon the rule book from my high school seminary, and in a fit of nostalgia, I spent some time paging through it.
For seminarians, the rule …
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10/25/18
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Recently I read about a Catholic Bishop in England, Bishop Richard Moth, who skydived from a plane at 15,000 feet to raise money to take ailing pilgrims from his diocese to Lourdes. The Bishop’s …
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10/18/18
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My mom, God rest her, was a gentle, peaceful soul. She avoided confrontations and disliked arguments, even friendly family arguments about crazy things. And conversely, she had a keen awareness of …
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10/11/18
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Even casual football fans know that a “Hail Mary” pass is a last minute, desperate attempt to score points before the time runs out. It’s what a team does in a hopeless situation, when there …
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10/4/18
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In seeking to imitate Christ, we often look to the saints as models. The liturgical calendar in this season gives us three outstanding examples of holiness in Saint Vincent de Paul (September 27), …
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9/27/18
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When, a few months back, I announced that I was ending my use of Twitter, it caused quite a media firestorm. There were tons of stories, both local and national. Even the New York Times and …
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9/20/18
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So, today I begin a new series of articles entitled, “The Imitation of Christ.” That, of course, is the name of a beloved spiritual classic, a collection of beautiful reflections, dating to the …
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By Bishop Thomas J. Tobin
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9/13/18
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