Commentary Clergy sexual abuse has mutilated the church. It has scourged Christ’s body. Like a rock dropped in the water, the ripples stretch out far, and they continue to reach far beyond the sins perpetrated in darkness. And, naturally, this devastating reality casts a shadow over any new pontificate in our day. Perhaps the first […]
Michael R. Heinlein: Building good habits deepens our faith
Commentary As any parent will understand, praying well at Mass with three children is not easy — or sometimes, even possible. There’s always a question about some ritual or phrase in a reading or a sippy cup dropped on the pew in front of you or just basic struggles of concentration. Oh, the distractions! While […]
Michael R. Heinlein: Looking to saints on holiness journey
Commentary One of the enduring memories during a recent family pilgrimage to Italy occurred early one morning when my two oldest children, ages 7 and 5, accompanied me to morning Mass. The location was none other than the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi. While we arrived a little early for the once-a-month English Mass […]
Michael R. Heinlein: Eucharist provides a lesson in waiting
Commentary Learning to wait is an important skill to acquire. I am reminded of its importance almost daily as I help my young children come to understand it — and, of course, in that process come to understand it more and more in my own life, too. “Patience is a virtue” I heard so much […]
Michael R. Heinlein: Prayers offer focus after Communion
Commentary What do we do when we return to the pew after receiving holy Communion? Having welcomed the Lord of the universe into our own corner of it, in the most humble yet profound of ways, how should our prayer be directed? For years, I’d attempt various strategies hoping to make the most of this […]