Hope in the Lord — A pastoral heart in returning from COVID-19
Back in February at the Priests’ Council meeting, I invited a conversation about fruitful ways that we as a church can return to full…
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Hope in the Lord — Sister Visitor choice pantry seeks to serve our neighbors
A few weeks ago, I visited Sister Visitor choice pantry at 23rd and Market Street. The Sister Visitor Center has been there since the…
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Hope in the Lord — New horizons and decisive directions
Pope Francis has a favorite quote, and I do too. In the seventh paragraph of his first Apostolic Exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of…
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Hope in the Lord — The reason for our hope
Podcasts and video messages are wonderful ways to give a reason for our hope. With the advent of COVID-19 and the restrictions on face-to-face…
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Hope in the Lord — Ashes for Lent and heroic action
This coming Wednesday, Feb. 17, is Ash Wednesday. It was just a week into Lent in 2020 that the COVID-19 pandemic brought all of…
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Hope in the Lord — Chalking up a new year: A home blessing
One of my earliest recollections as a child is the visit from the parish priest at the beginning of a new year. Around the…
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Hope in the Lord — Advent, a season to become a true neighbor
I am enjoying my study of “Fratelli Tutti,” the brand-new encyclical by Pope Francis, given as a gift to explore social friendship in this…
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Hope in the Lord — Grateful, Generous and Joyful this Thanksgiving
For the second year in a row, I will miss spending my Thanksgiving weekend with the monks of Gethsemani. Last year my cancer treatment…
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Hope in The Lord — Visiting the graves in the cemetery
Two weeks ago, I returned to Pennsylvania for the burial of a very good friend with whom I grew up. At the same time,…
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Hope in the Lord — Much Obliged: Our Duty to Worship with Joy
I always enjoyed old movies when one of the characters turned to another and said that he is “much obliged.” It seems so polite,…
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