Nov 28, 2022

The Season of Advent provides us a rich selection of Scriptures from both New and Old Testaments.  One recurring theme of many of these readings is that it is now time to rouse ourselves from sleep and become much more spiritually awake and alert.

Nov 24, 2022

Before thanksgiving was an American holiday, it was a hallmark of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  All ancient peoples gave thanks for creation; only Jews and Christians believe that God acted decisively in history to secure our liberation from slavery.  Eucharist simply means thanksgiving -- and it is the supreme act of...

Nov 23, 2022

The Bible stories of Naaman the Syrian and Jesus' healing of the 10 lepers shows us that gratitude is an obligation of justice. To remember the source of our blessings and to give thanks is exactly why some countries, like the USA and Canada, dedicate a national Thanksgiving holiday.  And why Catholics have a...

Nov 21, 2022

Dr. Italy continues his "virtual tour" of sites on his upcoming Rhine pilgrimage, exploring the city of Speyer, Germany, in this 7 min. radio interview.  Speyer has its beginnings in a Roman settlement, but in the early Middle Ages, it became an important center and imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. ...

Nov 18, 2022

The belief second and final coming of Jesus as sovereign Lord and judge of the world is common to all Christians, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant.  It is commemorated each November in the Roman Catholic Feast of Christ the King, a celebration that inspires both hope and a salutary fear.