Blog

Each spring I look forward to the first beautiful weather weekend at the Jersey Shore, so I can strap my bicycle onto my car and make the trek to Long Beach Island–or “LBI” as we regulars know it–and take a two-wheeled tour. That activity is easier to do before the peak summer vacation season hits, when the population can increase from roughly 10,000 to close to 200,000! I try to remember to check the direction
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“So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mk 16:19). OK. Am I stating the obvious, by saying the disciples’ jaws must have felt sore from dropping each time they saw Jesus after his resurrection? That seems a safe bet, particularly in the days shortly afterward. No one comes back from a Roman crucifixion, especially one that used
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“I am the Light of the world,” proclaimed Jesus in the 9th chapter of the Gospel of John, a statement layered with profound pastoral and–especially–theological meaning, meaning that we’ll discuss later. Two weeks ago, my (St. Mary’s) parish had its 2nd Annual Legacy of Virtue Father/Son Communion Breakfast and Commissioning Ceremony, and event aimed at restoring and strengthening a fading tradition. Over the centuries, generations of men throughout the world have known that one of their main
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“Truly, this man was the Son of God,” asserted the Roman centurion on Good Friday in Mark’s Gospel (Mk 15:39). In his role as commander of 100 highly trained soldiers that included this capital punishment squadron,  assertiveness would have been automatic for him. He gave his orders, and his men followed them. And that makes sense, since they served a god. Wait, what?? (as my children used to say) Octavian was the son of Julius
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“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness…” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them” (Gen 1:26,27) People commonly refer to “God’s plan,” when both good and bad things happen; but what exactly do those words mean? Does God have a plan for Mankind? Does God have a plan for each one of us? Does God plan for bad–or evil–things to
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