In the News

Can’t We All Get Along?

By Fr. Jeff | 11/08/2022

I’ve been hearing in the news lately about anti-Semitic comments. I do not know why there is a rise in these comments. The Jews as a group were stereotyped by Catholics as bad for a long time. In the gospels…

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The Gift of Hope

By Fr. Jeff | 08/30/2022

In the past I have written about the importance of following the news to know what is going on in the world. I have also written about how the news can be discouraging (see the articles under the category “In…

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Medicine of Mercy

By Fr. Jeff | 07/05/2022

As I have been looking for topics for new articles for this blog, the topic of who can receive Communion in the Catholic Church has been in the news. In the news it involves politicians. I am not going to…

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Where Do We Go From Here?

By Fr. Jeff | 06/28/2022

In its Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision released last week (June 24, 2022), the United States Supreme Court did what prolife advocates were hoping for. They overturned Roe vs. Wade. I found my heart heavy with the news.…

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13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 06/26/2022

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C1 Kings 19:16b, 19-21Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11 (see 5a)Galatians 5:1, 13-18Luke 9:51-62June 26, 2022 Today’s gospel passage begins a new section in Luke’s gospel that will continue until the time for Jesus’…

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Is There Hope?

By Fr. Jeff | 05/10/2022

Those of you who are long-time readers of my blog know that from time to time, I like to write about the importance of following the news. As Christians we are called to pray for the needs of our brothers…

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A Time of Distress

By Fr. Jeff | 05/08/2022

As we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter in Year C, our first reading continues to come from the Acts of the Apostles. The Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the early church. In chapter 2 the disciples…

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Forward or Backward?

By Fr. Jeff | 03/08/2022

We are a full two years into the Coronavirus pandemic. Many of us have been worn out by the pandemic. We are tired of shutdowns, social distancing, and facemasks as well as the polarization over these. Presently, there is good…

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Some Preliminary Thoughts on the Situation in Ukraine

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2022

In my homily this Sunday I included what is going on in the Ukraine as among the tribulations we face in the world today. Now I would like to offer some preliminary thoughts on Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. I…

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8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily

By Fr. Jeff | 02/27/2022

8th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year CSirach 27:4-7Psalm 92:2-3, 13-14, 15-16 (see 2a)1 Corinthians 15:54-58Luke 6:39-45February 27, 2022 In Sirach we hear, “so in tribulation is the test of the just.”  We face “tribulation” (i.e. distress) in our world today.…

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A Troubled World

By Fr. Jeff | 02/22/2022

One does not have to look far to see that we live in a troubled world. We have been dealing with the Coronavirus for two years now. Right now, the number of cases in the United States has dropped significantly…

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What Do We Want to be Different in 2022?

By Fr. Jeff | 01/04/2022

Last week I wrote an article about new year’s resolutions (“A New Beginning”). Today I will share some thoughts about what we might be looking forward to in 2022. I think the thing most obvious thing that we would all…

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The Communion Debate

By Fr. Jeff | 11/30/2021

There is confusion over the question of who can receive Communion in the Catholic Church. The question comes up in the news because of prominent politicians who are Catholic but support abortion. Unfortunately, this leads to the politicization of the…

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A Polarized People

By Fr. Jeff | 11/23/2021

I recently saw a news headline where a health official involved in the government’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic said he did not cause political divisiveness. He is right. We have been becoming a polarized people for some time. This…

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Using the News to Pray

By Fr. Jeff | 10/18/2021

In previous articles like, “What’s in the News,” I have written about why I think it is important to follow the news. Watching the news we typically hear more discouraging news than uplifting news. Recently, I have begun trying to…

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Respect Life October 2021

By Fr. Jeff | 10/05/2021

Each year during the month of October the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life month. Life is always precious from the moment of conception till natural death. We need to respect life and promote the dignity of…

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What About My Freedom?

By Fr. Jeff | 09/14/2021

Various states are passing laws supporting life in the womb. Life is a precious gift that begins at conception. This is not simply something I believe in faith. In my article, “Biology Makes Me Pro-Life”, I provide a non-religious reason…

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What’s in the News

By Fr. Jeff | 08/03/2021

One of the things I like to write about here is current events in the news. At times I have also considered starting a discussion group about current events. I believe it is important to reflect on what is going…

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If It’s All About Me…

By Fr. Jeff | 01/29/2021

Relativists say you can believe whatever you want as long as you don’t hurt anyone. For relativists, the truth is what you want it to be. For them, it seems, it’s all about me. We pray for them to know…

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“For I Know Well the Plans”

By Fr. Jeff | 01/26/2021

It is no secret that 2020 was a difficult year. A number of my blog articles in the last year reflect that. In particular, there were the articles, “2020: What a Year!” and “2020 is Over!”. Now, we try to…

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Building Peace

By Fr. Jeff | 01/18/2021

In our opening prayer at Mass today (Monday, January 18th, 2nd Week in Ordinary Time), we pray asking God to bestow his “peace on our times.” We live in a world with division and hatred. Today we celebrate the Martin…

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Tolerance, Hate Speech, and Dialogue

By Fr. Jeff | 01/12/2021

“Tolerance” has become a frequently used word.  We do well to ask ourselves what does it mean to “tolerate.”  Why?  Because I think it is being used beyond its actual meaning.  It seems to me that it is being used…

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My Fourth and Final Article on “Fratelli Tutti”

By Fr. Jeff | 11/20/2020

I have finished my fourth and final article in my series, Our Relationships With Others, reflecting on Pope Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli Tutti.  As I complete this series, please note that the four articles do not cover the entirety of the…

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Seeking Real Dialogue

By Fr. Jeff | 11/16/2020

I just completed the third article, “Seeking Real Dialogue”, in my series, “Our Relationships With Others”. In the first two articles I took an instructive approach. In this third article, I continue to seek to help readers understand what Pope…

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Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

By Fr. Jeff | 11/15/2020

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year AProverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31Psalm 128:1-2, 3, 4-5 (1a)1 Thessalonians 5:1-6Matthew 25:14-30November 15, 2020 Proverbs speaks of the “worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.”  She is praised for the good she does as…

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