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The Deacon's Bench

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Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

October 2019

October 04, 2019

An atheist gets his dying wish: to be baptized

“Thomas, you never thought you would preach a sermon in your life; but you preached...

July 2019

July 15, 2019

Bush and Bono: A Parable for Our Time

Sunday's Gospel parable on The Good Samaritan offered a lesson in shared humanity, compassion and...

April 2019

April 29, 2019

‘Catholics Are Wonderful at Being Sad’

Some wonderful wisdom, via Tony Rossi and The Christophers, from a young cancer survivor with...

February 2019

February 22, 2019

Need a Little Love Today? Here.

Excuse me, there's something in my eye. (Pause to blow nose to stop sniffling) This...

January 2019

January 29, 2019

Advice every one of us needs to hear right now

This comes from David Brooks in The New York Times, who sums up his philosophy...

January 09, 2019

Want to lose weight in 2019? Let this priest show you how he did it.

This is great:   "Overeating destroyed my body,” Fr. Ryan Rooney says. “At my highest weight...

December 2018

December 24, 2018

Anticipating the next chapter: Reflection for Monday, December 24, 2018

Probably the most memorable Christmas Eve I can recall was the night I proposed to...

November 2018

November 20, 2018

From 1962, a Thanksgiving message for today

"Let us renew the spirit of the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving, lonely in an...

November 04, 2018

Jewish nurse who treated alleged Pittsburgh gunman: ‘Love. That is why I did it.’

The story of Ari Mahler has gained a lot of attention:  The nurse who cared...

November 02, 2018

Must-see: Father confronts boy bullying his son — choosing kindness over anger

This is a story more people need to see. Especially now. Watch below, from Good...

October 2018

October 16, 2018

‘Beacon of strength’: Young mother dies after delaying chemo to save the life of her unborn child

Details:  Kate Winslet has spoken of her devastation after learning of the death of a...

September 2018

September 04, 2018

Trust me: you need to see this story today. THIS is love.

With so much of the world right now dealing with scandal, outrage, polarization and...

May 2018

May 07, 2018

WATCH: The four-year old who is a superhero to the homeless of Alabama

This is something — from the great Steve Hartman at CBS News: Austin Perine may...

April 2018

April 19, 2018

Need a smile today? This should do it.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Rick Astley performing That Song (you know which one) with Choir!...

April 15, 2018

WATCH: Pope Francis’s beautiful response to a child crying for his dead father

From the YouTube description of this event: At this Pastoral Visit to the Roman Parish...

April 13, 2018

These teenagers are amazing. Watch this video they sent to Bishop Barron and see why.

Evidently, the kids at Bishop Sullivan High School in Virginia Beach made this video for...

April 04, 2018

50 years later, remembering the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. and one of the great speeches of the 20th century

It is the speech Robert F. Kennedy delivered in Indianapolis following the assassination of Martin...

March 2018

March 27, 2018

WATCH: After 23 years behind bars, innocent man returns to his old job as White Sox groundskeeper

A great tale of justice, perseverance, and second chances:  Nevest Coleman officially started as a...

March 23, 2018

This is something to see: how Austin, Texas created a community for its homeless

I stumbled on this video today and was amazed. It's called Community First: Community First!...

March 15, 2018

Remembering Parkland: ‘We lit an 18th candle…’

A deacon friend forwarded me this tweet, from Father Jeff Walker in the Diocese of...

March 12, 2018

The year is young, but this just might be my favorite story so far

This is awesome: An act of kindness has reaped a huge reward for one Texas...

March 05, 2018

‘It is a miracle’: The incredible story of a former slave and Olympic athlete who has joined the Air Force

An amazing story of tenacity, survival and grit: Airman 1st Class Guor Maker fled war...

October 2015

October 28, 2015

High school students volunteer to serve as pallbearers for those who die alone

Some may remember the story I posted last year about Jim Skerl, the teacher at Cleveland's...

October 28, 2015

High school students volunteer to serve as pallbearers for those who die alone

Some may remember the story I posted last year about Jim Skerl, the teacher at Cleveland’s...

October 15, 2015

Synod, shmynod

Enough already. Put down that crockery. Count to 10. Breathe deeply. Then follow doctor’s orders: take...

October 15, 2015

Synod, shmynod

Enough already. Put down that crockery. Count to 10. Breathe deeply. Then follow doctor's orders: take...

October 14, 2015

Must-see video: a groom’s priceless gift to his mother on his wedding day

When I was growing up, I always heard, “If you want to know how a...

October 14, 2015

Must-see video: a groom’s priceless gift to his mother on his wedding day

When I was growing up, I always heard, "If you want to know how a...

September 2015

September 29, 2015

Meet the deacon who’s been a foster parent 50 times

This is humbling and inspiring:  He never expected it, but Deacon Neil Tift realized he...

September 29, 2015

Meet the deacon who’s been a foster parent 50 times

This is humbling and inspiring:  He never expected it, but Deacon Neil Tift realized he...

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