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                                          Credit: © Hero Images/Hero Images/Corbis Years ago, when we were in San Francisco, we went into a fast food place that had a happy man standing outside the business holding the door and greeting customers. I actually thought they had hired him to do this because he did such an exceptional job. Turns out, he was one of the many, many homeless people in the city who was simply hoping for a tip in exchange for his "service." I was impressed that they allowed him to do it, likely seeing him as an asset to the business, rather than an annoyance to the customers. During Lent, almsgiving is highlighted, but if you happen to be someone without money in your pocket to share, I have an idea for you. Practice generosity of words. Yes, generosi...

I'm a huge fan of science, but by training I'm an historian. Or a historian. Either way, as it turned out, the closest I came to being a professional historian was working as a researcher/reporter for a regional historical society in the 1970s. For a few months. And that's another topic. My background and interests help me appreciate the excitement experienced by a grad student who was focusing on the history of science.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A student found the first of two scrapbooks from the 1883 American Astronomical Society. My take on professionals, amateurs, and attitudes.)

T he Return of the Prodigal Son Rembrandt [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 15:1-3, 11- 32  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable: ‘There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.” And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that co...

    "Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (1 John 4:20-21) Now you might be thinking, "I love everybody."  Or you might be thinking, "That is impossible." It's pretty hard to love an abuser, a liar or a cheater. For some, loving the President can be pretty hard. It can also be hard to love people that do not share your values, or live differently. I have not read in the bible where Jesus said we are to just love people who look, think and live like we do. I've never seen where he made a "people to love" and "people to not love" list. He didn't seem to make exceptions when he commanded that we love one another.  But, there are a lot of people today who have made an "exceptions to love" list, who think they are being righteous when they are actually just being judgmental. We must keep in mind that loving someone does not mean accepting and allowing their behavior. It doesn't mean keeping the...

    Do we see that the Lent that we are "doing" right now is in preparation for our role in the mission?  Do we get this?  Whatever you are doing for Lent should be preparing you for Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit will send us out on mission. Two things:  First, make sure your Lenten sacrifice is purposeful, and second, pray for an awareness of your role in the mission of the Church. For those of you who struggle to understand why we do what we do during Lent, hopefully this will help you. I became more aware of the direct Lent/Mission connection when Fr. James Mallon (Divine Renovation) was talking about the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert. Scripture tells us that following his 40 days, Jesus went on mission. If you are stuck asking, "How is giving up candy connected to all of this," this is your answer:  It's not about the candy. Lent is about renewing our practice of self-discipline/self-sacrifice, generosity towards others (which assumes we...

The Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, and Meteor Crater aren't on the obvious and shortest route from San Francisco to the Upper Midwest. But in 1979, with no reason for staying in San Francisco — that's another topic, for another time — and good reasons for returning to Minnesota, going out of my way to see them seemed like a good idea.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Two Thai tourists at the Grand Canyon. A military jet in the Petrified Forest. Two popes, two poems, and the civilization of love: a very long-haul project.)

  Moses removing his sandals (detail) Byzantine Mosaic Artist [ Web Gallery of Art ] Then [the Lord] said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground  (Exodus 3:5; First Reading). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel  Luke 13:1-9  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) There were some present at that very time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, ‘Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were wor...

  My apologies to those of you who cringe at the sight of snakes, but please bear with me . . . In the 21st chapter of Sirach we are told,  "Flee from sin as from a serpent that will bite you if you go near it." What a great image for us whenever sin enters our sphere. Just picture it as a snake that is waiting to bite you. I'm guessing it will stop you in your tracks if this imagery pops up. Oh, and the first image? Beware of the smiling snake. The evil one can easily appear as such, but quickly transform himself into one that can put his fangs deep into us when we are least expecting it. Remember The Fall in the Book of Genesis? " Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made." Remember, it was God who created the serpent and it is God who can protect us from him. While you are praying your way through Lent, ask God to protect you and give you the strength to resist temptation. Janet Cassidy Email me at:  jmctm2@gmai...

    I turned on the news and saw that the cease-fire ended and Israel  returned to incinerating the Gaza Strip. Now, after six weeks, the bombings have started up again. My heart sank.  Not taking a side here, not being pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian (just pro-peace), and being very well aware of how this all started, I simply cannot understand how taking the innocent lives of people living in the Gaza Strip is justified.  I mean, how is this helping free those hostages going forward? I see the small children, injured by the bombings. I see the food aid trucks throwing food to people whose only hope for survival is in those boxes. I see homes and buildings complete obliterated. A social structure in crisis. This is not the way to peace. Haven't we learned yet that violence begets violence? The people trying to live in the Gaza Strip are bearing the brunt of this "war." The cancellation of their very existence can never be justified. Trying to go after...

  If you are reading this post on my blog, will you please go ahead and subscribe? I won't share your information or fill your inbox with extra emails. If you are reading this on Facebook, please follow me.  Thank you!   Director David Lynch was quoted as saying, "Keep your eye on the doughnut, not the hole." Since I like doughnuts, I don't have any problem with that. Ha ha Now I have no idea what he was referring to, but for me, seriously, in today's climate, I would use this as a "big picture" reminder, that, instead of looking at all of the emptiness we are experiencing, both politically, culturally and morally, i.e., the hole, it is helpful to remember that we are actually surrounded by the One who looks out for us. I read this in Sirach, which I believe is quite fitting. It comes from Chapter 10, verses 14-15: "God overturns the thrones of the proud and enthrones the lowly in their place. God plucks up the roots of the proud, and pl...

    We often think that we have plenty of time to right our ship. We think, "Someday, I'll come around to faith and explore what living with God in my life is all about." The truth is, we actually don't have plenty of time. Scripture warns us that the "number of their days seems great if it reaches a hundred years. Like a drop of water from the sea and a grain of sand, so are these few years among the days of eternity." (Sirach 18:9-10) The truth is, we really shouldn't be putting off making ourself right with God, because the span of our life is incredibly short--even if we make it to 100! Knowing this, God "provides a way back" (Sirach 17:24) for those who are willing to repent. Those of us who have lost hope have a way to return to God, now, today. Sirach tells us, "Turn back to the Lord and give up your sins, pray before him and make your offenses few." (Verse 25) I'm not sure why any of us would want to gamble a...

How things smell matters. "...What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;..." (Juliet, " Romeo and Juliet " , Shakespeare (ca. 1597)) "...Here's the smell of the blood still: all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!..." (Lady Macbeth, " Macbeth " , Shakespeare (ca. 1606)) "...Great masses of pale white clematis hang in sheets from the trees, cactus and aloe run riot among the glens, sweet scents of oleander float around the deep ravines, delicious perfumes of violets are wafted on every breeze from unseen and unsuspected gardens...." (" The Mediterranean: Its Storied Cities and Venerable Ruins " , T. G. Bonney, E. A. R. Ball, H. D. Traill, Grant Allen, Arthur Griffiths, Robert Brown (1862)) I know that. I've done a fair amount of reading in my day, so I know quite a bit about odor. I gather that roses and other flowers smell sweet, and tha...

  Transfiguration of Christ Paolo Veronese [ Web Gallery of Art ] And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah  (Luke 9:30; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 9:28-36  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. And as the men were parting...

  I think this world would be a far better place if everyone took more time to think about what they say and do, and work on personal change. For example, consider how you spoke to your spouse today. What about your friend? Or your coworker? Do you subtly manipulate them in any way? Do you secretly (or openly) criticize them for what they say or do? Do you hold grudges?  Waste time? Do you try to control your adult children or others? I think we need to start working on ourselves. Consider what you need God's mercy for, and then with heartfelt intention, pray the words of Psalm 130: "Out of the depths I call to you, Lord; Lord, hear my cry. May your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy." Let God's mercy be your great desire. Know how you are in need of it. The beauty is, as we hear from Ezekiel (Chapter 18:22), God will not remember the wrong we have done, but the virtue we have practiced. Look at your faults today and make an honest accounting of what you n...

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    When I was homeschooling our kids, one of the things we studied was the water cycle. It's an interesting process where, simply put, water from the oceans gets evaporated as water vapor, forming clouds. Then, it falls back to the earth in the form of precipitation and soaks into the ground. You and I know, without even really thinking about it, that when rain soaks into the ground, it helps the seeds we've planted grow. In turn, those seeds are harvested and eventually become the basis for the bread we put on our table. I was thinking about this today because a reading from Isaiah popped up (Chapter 55, verses 10-11) which related the water cycle to spreading God's word. Isaiah tells us that rain and snow water the earth, making it fertile and fruitful. Likewise, God's Word, coming straight from his mouth, returns to him, once it has achieved its end. The sun drives the water cycle; the Holy Spirit drives God's other cycle, something we are also ...

    With both of my parents gone, I am especially grateful to my three older brothers. I can turn to them to fill in things I can't recall, and I love hearing them tell stories I was too young to experience. The year each of us kids got a reel-to-reel tape recorder was huge (not the one shown). Our oldest brother has resurrected some of the recordings, which even include our parents talking. What a treasure! Family history is important, even if it isn't always as exact as a tape recording. Sometimes stories are simply passed down from memory. In the Bible, we often have accounts that differ. The writers had different audiences, different writing styles, different fields of vision, and different emphases. We also find rich, oral history that was passed down. No matter which biblical book we are reading, knowing the context of the writings is critical.  Biblical writing is truly inspired by God, but we must remember that the Bible was not handed down to us i...

I remember when the Case building on NP (Northern Pacific) Avenue in Fargo looked the way it did in that photo. I'd better explain. I'm old, but I'm not that old. The F. O. E. (Fraternal Order of Eagles) parade on NP Avenue was in the summer of 1910. I wasn't born until the fall of 1951. Besides, the building I remember didn't look exactly like the one in the photo.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Another dad moment, this one involving a freight elevator. The Case building in Fargo. A globe-and-eagle logo that disappeared. Family and a few good ideas.)

  Baptism and Temptation of Christ Paolo Veronese [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan,) Readings   (English Standard Version, Catholic Edition: England & Wales, India, Scotland)  Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Luke 4:1-13  (English Standard Version, Anglicised) At that time: Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were over, he was hungry. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” ’ And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, ‘To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I g...

    On Ash Wednesday there was a line from a reading from 2 Corinthians (5:20-6:2) that hits at the heart of our responsibility as a Christian. Paul tells us that WE are "ambassadors for Christ."   Wow! Think about that. YOU are an ambassador. YOU represent Christ in the world! If that doesn't influence how you are in this world, I don't know what will. Paul tells us that, so significant is our role, that it is "as if God were appealing through us." This reminds me of the famous quote from St. Teresa of Avila:  Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks compass...