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Why do people kiss the pope’s ring? This strikes me as a very odd custom and is certainly not based on the Bible. I have never found anyone who could give me a good explanation for this practice.
Each time I pray the words of the Serenity Prayer, I am reminded of how I am not in control of my life or the people and situations around me.
Our wounded human nature being what it is, the temptation may be to wish we didn’t feel so guilty in doing something wrong or sinful.
Q: All my life we have been told that when we die we will be with God for all eternity. I sometimes feel, however, that when you die that’s it—no heaven, God or anything. It’s frightening to think that what I have believed all these years might not be true.
A: God has not revoked the biblical promises about sharing divine life forever. There have always been people who did not accept them, but that does not make those people more trustworthy than people who believe in heaven.
St. Francis could let go when the right time came and engage in new ways of thinking and structures of relationship.
Reflect The Porziuncola, the breathtaking little chapel within St. Mary of the Angels is Assisi, is one of the utmost places that holds the spirit
We are living Canticles of God. St. Francis understood that better than anyone.
Prayer is a relationship with God. Relationships take time and are based on love
Q. Is there a minimum age before someone can be designated as a reader at Mass? Must that person be confirmed?
A. There is no minimum age, and having received the Sacrament of Confirmation is not a requirement. Carrying out this service to the Church is a matter of someone’s ability to read effectively in a faith-filled way during public worship.
In a time when loneliness and disconnection are at historic highs, how can resurrecting community help us awaken to what Thomas Merton called our “true selves”? In an age of division, how might principles from the Franciscan way help us to uncover our “original unity”? What does real, authentic, diverse community look like today? And what does Pope Leo’s new encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” say about using digital tools to build a universal human family? What might a digital “piazza” offer in this technological age?
