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March 2026

March 29, 2026

A Palm Sunday Reflection: Blessed is He Who Comes

Today is Palm Sunday, one of the most dramatic days on the liturgical calendar. But...

February 2026

February 18, 2026

An Ash Wednesday and Lenten Tale

Today is Ash Wednesday, which for a hardcore Protestant such as I presents several issues....

December 2025

December 21, 2025

Joseph the Step-parent

In my religious tradition, we didn’t do saints. We did do Christmas pageants—big time. I...

July 2025

July 25, 2025

Let It Be

Every time I tell our Alexa to "play the Beatles," I stop what I'm doing...

July 16, 2025

Remembering a Friend After a Decade

I was reminded by email a couple of days ago that it has been a...

May 2025

May 13, 2025

Why Faith Needs Doubt: A Lesson from Exams and a Pope

Oral Exams and Conclaves Last week was final exam week--I administered 32 written exams and...

April 2025

April 22, 2025

Non-Catholic Thoughts about Pope Francis I

I was, as were billions of other people, saddened to hear the news of Pope...

March 2025

March 11, 2025

What Does “Conversion” Mean?

Conversion is an odd phenomenon. I've often observed that those who convert, who ''tum around"...

October 2024

October 31, 2024

Getting Rid of Halloween Jesus

It's Halloween. Halloween gives me the opportunity to consider my long and checkered past with...

May 2024

May 26, 2024

The Trinity Walks into a Bar . . .

Next to Lent, the part of the liturgical calendar that I have always found least...

September 2023

September 17, 2023

Abortion and Faith Discussions: Part One

Exactly one year ago, an important event in which I was both involved with planning...

June 2023

June 04, 2023

Good Times with the Trinity

It’s Trinity Sunday. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to explain that very strange...

May 2023

May 04, 2023

Various Ways of Saying “Hello” to God

You can either think of the creeds of the great traditions . . . as...

April 2023

April 02, 2023

Blessed is He Who Comes: A Palm Sunday Meditation

Today is Palm Sunday, one of the most dramatic days on the liturgical calendar. But...

February 2023

February 22, 2023

A Tale of Ash Wednesday and Lent

One Wednesday last winter, the student in front of me in line at the little...

October 2022

October 09, 2022

We Don’t Need to Protect God

Human beings never behave so badly as when they believe they are protecting God. Barbara Brown...

September 2022

September 22, 2022

Autumn Peace is a Choice

Today is the first day of autumn. For those who love autumn as I do,...

September 01, 2022

Abortion and Faith Discussions: Begin How You Want It To End

I wrote this essay while I was on retreat in early July but, for reasons...

August 2022

August 04, 2022

When are F-bombs Appropriate in the Classroom?

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1...

June 2022

June 23, 2022

Problems with the Soul

Last week I posted an essay called “Left-Brain Christianity or Right-Brain Faith?” which discussed the...

May 2022

May 30, 2022

Loving My Country and Loving God are Not the Same Thing

The June edition of The Atlantic contains an excellent and sobering article by Tim Alberta. Titled...

May 23, 2022

The Story I am Willing to be Wrong About

My political scientist Dominican priest friend and colleague, who was my teaching partner in our...

May 19, 2022

Making Darkness and Silence your Friends

Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to talk to you again. “The Sound of Silence”...

April 2022

April 19, 2022

A Physical Body Plus Something More

The central theme of my ethics class last fall was human dignity. Through short stories,...

March 2022

March 28, 2022

Wild West Ethics

Bein’ born is craps. How we live is poker. Doc Holliday Of the dozens of...

March 07, 2022

A Stranger (Protestant) in a Strange Land (Catholic)

Last Wednesday the student in front of me in line at the little on campus...

January 2022

January 27, 2022

Raised on Original Sin

It hardly seems possible that I am now in the tenth calendar year of writing...

December 2021

December 23, 2021

Merry Christmas: Christus Natus Est

Christmas movies are a big deal at my house. Jeanne goes for the classics, such...

December 19, 2021

There Will Be An Answer: Let It Be

I have the privilege of giving the sermon at Trinity Episcopal Church in Pawtuxet, RI...

December 11, 2021

What I am Thankful For at the End of the Semester

As I write this essay on Friday afternoon, it is the last day of regular...

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