The Ash Wednesday Gospel (Matthew 6:1-18) puzzles me. Jesus says not to let anyone know our good deeds. Our prayers, fasting and almsgiving should all be secret. But we’re hearing this reading in a place where we pray with others, pass around an open collection plate and display big smudges on our foreheads. Plus, just a chapter before, Jesus said, “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” It’s confusing.

I can’t believe it’s almost Ash Wednesday. Didn’t we just celebrate Christmas? I guess I need to stop humming carols and start planning a meaningful Lent.

IN LITTLE WAYS This year, as the anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches, my thoughts are with the mothers. As a teenager, I never had to face telling my parents I was pregnant. However, I remember other secrets I kept and the panic I felt when I thought they’d find out. I can easily imagine […]

IN LITTLE WAYS We usually hear the word “stewardship” in terms of our responsibilities to our parish. Our pastors urge us to share our time, talents and treasure with our Christian family. They ask us to prayerfully consider increasing our sacrificial giving. It’s a worthwhile appeal, but it’s only the beginning of true stewardship. Stewards […]

When the Synod on the Family ended, the media added up the score. Liberals, they said, lost, because the church made no major changes. Or conservatives lost because questions were raised that they considered settled. Perhaps both sides won. The Holy Father asked the bishops to listen to their flock and to one another. I think (I hope) most of them did.

IN LITTLE WAYS December eighth begins a Year of Mercy, in which the church proclaims to the world that God’s mercy is infinite and eternal. I fear, though, that our understanding of mercy is incomplete. We think of it as a single act, like a judge giving probation instead of jail time. However, the divine […]

Kathleen T. Choi: IN LITTLE WAYS The danger with reading Scripture is coming across passages that hit home — hard. Recently, I read Luke 6:27-38 about loving your enemy and doing good to those who hurt you. The verses challenged me. Who are my enemies, and how do I treat them? The first enemies I […]

Each day’s news brings big numbers: more than 7,000 homeless in Hawaii, 45 million refugees worldwide, 210 million impoverished. It’s hard to comprehend such numbers, and it’s hard not to feel defeated by them. But I believe in the power of little numbers. I believe ordinary Christians can be powerful servants for the Lord through […]

In September, Stephen Colbert devoted an episode of “The Late Show” to Pope Francis’ visit. Joining him were four prominent Catholics: Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Maria Shriver, comedian Jim Gaffigan and journalist Andrew Sullivan. I felt Gaffigan was the best witness to our faith. “The reason I’m a Catholic is the notion of mercy. Because I […]

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It’s been a month since my last confession, but the sins are the same. I have a happy marriage, but my darling does everything so slowly these days, it drives me nuts! I understand that anger comes from fear. We’re senior citizens. We worry about our savings and […]