Fortunately for us, the church recognized from its earliest days that we would need regular periods of reflection and renewed effort if we were to free ourselves from the relentless grip of worldly...

I recently went to a local dairy to buy a gallon of milk. It was early in the morning and only one other customer, a young woman, was in the store. She too was purchasing a gallon of milk, and...

I have often had occasion to remember a story I had read many years ago about a man—an industrial engineer—who had to take a weekly flight to a distant manufacturing plant owned by his company. He...

In Edwin Malcom's lovely devotional poem, The Shoes of Happiness, we are confronted by Conrad, an old cobbler of great devotion. One night as he was sleeping, he was told in a dream the Lord...

Human nature being what it is most of us are impressed by the grand gestures, the big donation, the place of honor and prominence. People who rise to the top because of their tireless effort and...

I had an uncle, my father's youngest brother, who served in the Army Medial Corp during World War 2. He landed with the first wave of troops in the Normandy invasion, and wa still serving when the...

When I was a young child, we lived in a small town. Not far from my house was a vast tract of woodlands that extended for uncounted acres in every direction. One quiet day, a young child was lost...

Once there, it gathers from somewhere more than two hundred thousand times its weight, and forcing all of this raw material through a single stem, it constructs a large plant, fills it with...

Throughout his life, St. Barnabas showed again and again that he was a genuine Christian. The apostles called him “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) because of the sublime spiritual qualities they...

Almost fifty years ago, my home parish Church was taken by the state of Connecticut by eminent domain for the construction of Route 25. After moving to our new building, I wanted to pass by the old...

It has been said that one of the hallmarks of mature adulthood is the capacity for making decisions and accepting responsibility for them. At the same time, however, you cannot hep but notice how...

When I was growing up in Connecticut, we belonged to a close-knit parish. We were in some ways like a large extended family, and we looked after one another with uncommon affection.

My dearly beloved brothers and sister, the Great and Holy day of Christmas is almost upon us. Off in the distant horizon, the star of Bethlehem is shining in the sky, and beckoning us to come, and...

Several years ago at church camp, I had the opportunity to climb several mountains. While hiking and climbing through the land surrounding these mountains, it was easy to observe the process by...

In a recent study published by the World Health Organization, recent findings about mental health issues were publicized so the topic would become a part of our public discussion. Because the...

One time, for example, a young boy heard his father offer a fervent prayer for the poor and needy at their dinner table. When the prayers were over and all began to eat, the young boy asked,...

I think that that it is is fair to say that tHere have been times when we have all criticized someone unfairly. Although we don’t know all the details of others’ circumstances, nor can we hope to...

I remember with special clarity the first night we spent in the house where we now live. Exhausted from moving, we went to bed early, but I was soon awakened by the noises of someone in the house!...

All of us have heard stories that helped to restore our faith in people, and which emphasize that nothing can teach with the same power as that as a living example. One such story is told of a...

Toward its end, Diocletian ordered a monument to be erected and on it had these triumphant words inscribed, "The name Christian is extinguished." Twenty-five years later, however, Diocletian was...