Keller's Corner

Charisms (August 24, 2008)
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Parts of the Mass: Speaking Scripture (August 17, 2008)
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Parts of the Mass: sending forth (August 10, 2008)
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Parts of the Mass: Responses (August 3, 2008)
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Parts of the Mass: Lamb of God (July 27, 2008)
Twice in the Mass we hear the words Lamb of God. Once is during the sung litany for the breaking of the bread (now Body of Christ) and a particle of the bread (now Body) is added to the wine (now Blood of Christ). The second time we hear it is immediately after this when the presider presents the Holy Eucharist: "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are they who are called to this supper."
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Parts of the Mass: kiss of peace (July 20, 2008)
Paul exhorts the Christians to "greet one another a holy kiss" (2 Cor 13:12). Surely he is not implying a romantic kiss. Rather it is a sibling greeting/kiss. And truly what he means is a bestowing of the presence of God: The Lord be with you.  More...

Parts of the Mass: Processions (July 13, 2008)
If Catholic liturgy is known for one thing it is movement. We don't sit still for long. And one of the prayer postures that we least remember is processions. We do this a lot at Mass.  More...

Parts of the Mass: Psalms (July 7, 2008)
"Shepherd me, O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life."

"The Lord is compassion to all creation."

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad."

"I will praise your name forever, my king and my God." (today)  More...

Establishing sanctity (June 29, 2008)
Today we celebrate the feast of two early apostles (those who are sent): Simon, dubbed Cephas by Jesus (in Latin, Petros [Peter]), and Saul, renamed Paul. If ever there were two flawed persons who served as ministers of the word of God these two rank up near the top. Among their homely features are fear and anger: Peter's fear drove his choice of denying association with the Galilean at the time of Jesus' trial; he regretted this and repented for it. Paul's anger energized a Pharisaical reaction to The Movement, followers of Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth. He was charging full strength when he was felled with a revelation that Jesus IS risen and IS the Messiah for which he (and all of Israel) had been waiting.   More...

Parts of the Mass: Collect (June 22, 2008)
Collect. A liturgical prayer at the beginning of the Mass. Have you ever heard of this prayer? Well, in more recent times we speak of the Opening Prayer. Yes, that's it. Collect is an English rendering of the Latin term.   More...

Parts of the Mass: Penitential Rite (June 15, 2008)
There are three sacraments of forgiveness: Baptism, Reconciliation, and the Eucharist. At the Eucharist we hear the words of Christ, "…this is my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins might be forgiven." Forgiveness is key because it brings about reconciliation--restoration of broken relationship.  More...

Parts of the Mass: INTRODUCTION (June 8, 2008)
"In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The familiar beginning of the Mass. It marks the boundary between the world from which we have just come and the new creation in which we, as a believing community, stand. As Catholics we mark ourselves with the sign of the cross as we hear this blessing. What a distinct mark. Have you ever made the sign of the cross in a restaurant or at home plate before batting?   More...

Parts of the Mass: GATHERING (June 1, 2008)
The first movement of the Mass is to gather us together. Although we come from different places as individuals, when we enter the church building and enter the ceremony of the Mass we change our mental and social condition: we are one body. This transformation is authored by the Holy Spirit. Whatever we are in the world and whoever we are in society is set aside for the communion of the Body of Christ. Here we are brothers and sisters in the Lord.  More...

The Great Supper (May 25, 2008)
Whenever a non-Catholic Christian pummels me with questions about why we (e.g., Catholics) worship Mary or the saints I return the favor by asking them one question: "First answer me: Why don't you celebrate the Lord's Supper weekly (if at all)? This was the practice and belief of the early Church." This is not a mean-spirited question; rather it sets straight the most important theological agenda. The Eucharist for Catholics is the heart of faith and the font of our moral life.   More...

Ultimate Mystery (May 18, 2008)
Today's feast day celebrates the essential feature by which Christianity stands as a unique monotheistic religion. We have to stress that we Christians are monotheists--one God. Our Trinitarian description of God belies confusion (others think that we are confused). I don't think that we are confused, but most Catholics would be hard pressed to describe the doctrine of the Trinity. We celebrate its truth liturgically and spiritually. What are we up against in the theological world and why?  More...

What Sustains (May 11, 2008)
Whether our lives march on with regularity, in the midst of a gorgeous springtime, or we are in the midst of major life changes due to the end of the academic year, graduation, or the loss of a dearly loved one, we need inner sustenance. The support that we get from loved ones is always significant and it is a gift. But ultimately we must walk the road of our life by ourself.  More...

Workers and Working (May 4, 2008)
I recently had a conversation with a man in his late-50s. Although he pointed out the blessings that he has received (and acknowledged), his life is overshadowed now by the dilemma of being "unemployable." Although this man has a graduate degree and has taught at the college level, nowadays he can only land an adjunct professor position. No institution will hire him full time (with benefits).   More...

Another academic year (April 27, 2008)
It is hard for me to believe that we are at the end of another academic year at Indiana University. Soon, for the elementary, middle and high schools, the academic year is also complete. Where did the time go? More importantly, what happened this year?  More...

What do you hope the Pope saw here? (April 20, 2008)
Pope Benedict XVI visited the Church in the United States this week. He is the third pontiff to do this (Paul VI, John Paul II). By now the press has reported their perspective on his visit (Theirs is a partial truth. Check other sources). As I write this before his arrival I wonder what you and I would hope Benedict XVI sees and says when he is here?   More...

Where witnessing to the resurrection might take us 1.0 (April 13, 2008)
The resurrection and the witness of the first disciples encountered a world--religious and otherwise--that was built upon a self-referential description that expected little to change or, contrarily, that expected exaggerated (apocalyptic) change.

The "realists" are likely to hold that 'the more things change the more they stay the same' (plus que change...). Here the strategy of life is to discern how things work and then place oneself in a posture to take advantage of the benefits of nature's process. Those who are socially on top not only believe this but they 'preach' the virtue of stability as a necessary quality of society and utilize their social position to keep things as they are. I doubt that such persons consciously think that they are doing this [For instance, could the petroleum CEOs say anything to Congress last week other than that their profits are comparable to other margins of profit within a given industry?   More...

Tiny but not inconsequential (April 6, 2008)
The impetus of the initial Christian communities that evolved out of the witness to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was the continuation of the message of the reign of God. The resurrection was solid evidence to them (Jewish artisans, middle-class priests, married women and slaves, Greek and Jew alike) that God was not remote. God had irrupted into the workings of history and put a past and a future into the mix. No longer was "business as usual" (the powerful and the wealthy have all the say).  More...

An Opportunity (March 30, 2008)
HAPPY EASTER! ALLELUIA!

Like Easter itself—that stealthy way in which God poses a surprise upon us when we least expect it or are prepared for it; for clearly the disciples and the religious leaders did not think that there was anything more that would happen to rabbi Jesus' ministry once he was crucified; but he appeared to disciples alive—not a figment of their imagination nor a story they made up (how many of us would stake our whole life on a tale)—St Paul has been offered an opportunity for a big service project.   More...

Mystery....still (March 23, 2008)
HALLELUIAH! Blessed Easter Day to each and all. This is the day that Christians rejoice heartily, as the psalmist prays:  More...

A Week Unlike Any Other (March 16, 2008)
Holy Week stands as distinctive among all of the weeks of the year for us because of its religious significance. Why? An innocent person was (wrongly) executed. But that happens in our world time and again: Darfur, Kenya, city streets, domestic violence in our homes. This sad story repeats itself over and over again. How have we gained anything since that day on Calvary hill?  More...

Yielding (March 9, 2008)
Driving up an entrance ramp, I accelerate in preparation to merge onto the highway and take my place in the traffic. But at the end of this ramp is a triangular sign that may ultimately impede my progress; it is a yield sign. I'm forever hoping that there is no obstruction to my easy entrance to the highway. Oftentimes there is no problem, but I know that I need to abide by the meaning of this sign for my safety and that of a whole lot of other drivers if the conditions warrant it.  More...

Alms of Lent (March 2, 208)
Of all of the Lenten disciplines, almsgiving often stings the most. Giving alms means giving away some of my personal/family possessions [most often financial]. Whereas prayer directly concerns me (and my time) and fasting directly impacts me (and my waistline)—both having beneficial effects on me personally—almsgiving seems like a true loss. In the material realm, there is a law of scarcity, that is, material things possess a definite space; it either is here and not there or is there and not here. Almsgiving places some of my/our things elsewhere, no longer available to me.  More...

Fasting From More Than Chocolate (February 24, 2008)
Fasting is refraining from something. Fasting for Lent has often taken the form of abstaining from a desired food item, like chocolate or coffee or broccoli (broccoli—just kidding!). This is well and good. One who does this discovers a capacity of delayed gratification, the difference between need and want, and possibly how others in the world who go without—not voluntarily but by force of conditions beyond their control—survive. Fasting is a long tradition in religious communities either to remind themselves that they are fragile and mortal, to be a practice of repentance (change), and to be thankful for the blessings of the good things that they have in ordinary times. This describes some of the motives of our Lenten fast.  More...

Lent: Prayer (February 17, 2008)
Prayer is a good starting point from which to reflect on the disciplines of Lent because it pertains directly to God. The first commandment, after all, pertains to God: have no other gods before the Lord God, nor abuse God (take the Name in vain). Idolatry and 'cursing' are the vices against these commandments.   More...

Change Our Hearts (February 10, 2008)
My ability to change the way I do things is not easy. Habits form, and habits are hard, very hard, to break. Business lore claims that it takes about twenty one days for a new work pattern to be instilled in operations. That is roughly one month. If habits can be changed in work, there is hope that it can be changed in life. Enter: Lent.  More...

Enter Lent (February 3, 2008)
Easter is based on a lunar/solar calendar. Easter is determined as the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring (after the equinox: equal daylight/equal night). This year the equinox is Mar 20 and the full moon is Mar 21, hence Easter is Mar 23. Therefore Ash Wednesday, our entry into Lent, is Feb 6. Prepare now!  More...

Christian Unity...not uniformity (January 27, 2008)
It passed by without notice. This is not the first time that that has happened. Even I did not think about it until the Monday (21st). I am referring to Christian Unity Week, Jan 18-25 [it is timed to end with the feast of the conversion of St Paul on Jan 25]. I know of places where there used to be a pulpit exchange (similar to Reformation Weekend, around Oct 31st). But outside of certain circles Christian Unity Week probably has never been on the parochial radar screen. And even if it was, for what are we praying and hoping?  More...

Contending with life (January 20, 2007)
The anniversary of the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade* is this week [Jan 22]. It is a legal interpretation that has not gone unchallenged. This legal decision (7-2) has not settled much and it has caused an enormous national debate that rages even now. And we Catholics are in the middle of the debate.  More...

Ministry born of Baptism (January 13, 2007)
Today is the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This might seem like a minor feast (if a feast at all), but it is not. First, it is the third major feast of the Christmas season, along with Christmas and Epiphany. Second, it is the conclusion of the Christmas liturgical season. And what a fitting conclusion it is for this season celebrating the Incarnation. Whereas Christmas celebrates how the divine took on human nature, the baptism of the Lord recalls how our human nature is invited to be immersed in divine life.   More...

Endings and Beginnings (January 6, 2008)
Every ending yields a new beginning; every beginning causes an ending. This kinda sounds logical, perhaps inevitable, but to put it into practice takes some skill. At any given time in life my attention has been focused on either the ending or the beginning because the one or the other was demanding a lot of internal, emotional coping energy. Spiritual maturity helps us to balance out this coping energy. Endings and beginnings are not so dread but a normal part of life.  More...

Blessed are you among... (December 23, 2007)
A key figure of the Advent-Christmas Season is Mary. She is the model of the human daring and humble openness to God in ways that make it possible for God to work in the world. I wonder if she ever saw it that way. As a wise man once said, “It is hard to see outside of the frame if you are in the picture.” She had no earthly advantage over us. However, she lived her life in faith, hope and charity. No wonder she is a model for us, for the Church. Now how can we mirror such holiness in the world? Maybe it is not so much a matter of looking at ourselves but of how we look at others and respond. To what does Advent calls us?  More...

Help the afflicted (December 16, 2007)
The prophecy of Isaiah frequently uses the impossible scene of nature being reconstructed: natural enemies are pacific with one another (wolf with the lamb, cow and bear, hay-eating lions) and physically limited persons becoming empowered (the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear).   More...

A traveler’s welcome (December 9, 2007)
To all IU students: bon voyage as you venture for the holidays. We’ll miss you. Come back soon...See ya Jan 6th. It is a time of travel for many. Families venture hither and yon to visit family and friends. Safe travel! Ten cuidado!  More...

Advent for us (December 2, 2007)
Happy new (Church) year! Yes, the Church celebrates the beginning of a new church year. It begins, like life itself, in a kind of silence and darkness that characterizes the northern part of the world. It leads to days of great dawn—December 25 (post-winter solstice). Advent is a season of quiet and a season of darkness, but also of yearning.   More...

How is Christ the King? (November 25, 2007)
Christ is the acme of humankind by virtue of his resurrection from the dead in the midst of history. This one-time-only event is a testimony of his significance as heir of God (Son) and the primary human being (cf. 1 Cor 15:20-28).   More...

Our Thanksgiving (November 18, 2007)
Thanksgiving, the holiday, draws us consciously to name and ponder the gifts for which we are thankful. One might muse: shouldn’t we be a thankful people every day of the year? The obvious answer is yes. Still, the holiday crystallizes our sense of gratitude.   More...

Spirituality 101 (November 11, 2007)
Define for yourself “spirituality.” Not easy, is it? Spirituality is something that is not very tactile but ever so real. Spirituality discloses what is most fundamental about our humanity and its interior energy. It asserts that there is more to us than our corporeal, sentient self. If we act only by instinct, we are animals. If we are only brain (intelligence), we are animal. There is something beyond instinct and brain which integrates and animates us. Spirituality taps the essential source of that power.  More...

Religion squares off with science (November 4, 2007)
Last week’s discussion posited two attributes of natural science and its power to form our way of thinking: (1) quantifiable observation expounded by statistical analysis, and (2) self-interest that is acquisitive wherein market economics helps to maximize the attainment of (consumer) goods.   More...

A war of "religions" (October 28, 2007)
The Corner last week ended with some questions to ponder. Before addressing these questions (and I make no promise to answer them conclusively anyway), there is some religious landscape of modernity to paint.  More...

No Corner Available (October 21 2007)
No Corner Available  More...

Worship, Ethics, Life (October 14, 2007)
During the past few weeks I have been discussing what the essence of religion is. Using a sociological thesis that describes religion as a "chain of memory" in which members come to understand the nature of reality (the world, the cosmos) and one's place in this reality according to a living tradition of ‘facts,' values, and rituals (to celebrate the virtue of these facts), the question of personal involvement comes to the fore. Religiosity in its essence is manifested by how a person sees, judges, and acts, especially in patterns of behavior. Religion and its effects are measured beyond creed or regulations (although it also includes both of these).  More...

Sane/holy management (October 7, 2007)
At this point in the semester the stress is getting to me. I was managing things pretty well at the beginning. I had enough lead time before exams and before papers was due. Now the tempo of the semester has most definitely caught up with me.  More...

Linking Up, part 2 (September 30, 2007)
Last week's Corner presented the idea that religion is a chain of memory (D. Hervieu-Leger, 2000). Religion links (connects) persons to a past, a present and a future via shared ideas, symbols and behavior (ethics). Religion is not the only collective that does this. Nationalism does the same thing; devotees are called patriots. Capitalism does much the same thing with a less formalized institutional structure than either religion or nationalism. Any of us who willingly engage in capitalistic activity perpetuate its creed as 'believers.'  More...

Linking up, part one (September 23, 2007)
The sociologist Daniele Hervieu-Leger proposes that religion is a 'chain of memory' (1993, 2000). Granted, her thesis is dense and her book explains/defends the factors by which she makes her claim, her concept of religion as an embodiment of memory is critical.  More...

Better choices, better results (September 16, 2007)
On the weekend of the first home football game of the year 108 drinking citations were issued and IUPD made 41 arrests. A spokesperson for IUPD stated that forty one arrests were a large number; it was the first game of the season and the weather was fine. Of the forty one arrests six students were unconscious from alcohol intoxication. Their average blood alcohol level was 0.16 percent (the legal limit is 0.08 percent). In order to acquire such a blood alcohol content a person has to do a lot of drinking.  More...

Pacing (September 9, 2007)
Labor Day 2007. What did you do last Monday? For many IU folks it was a normal day of classes, but for much of the USA it was a holiday.  More...

The heart of orientation (August 26, 2007)
Here is the scene: the first day on campus as a university freshman [or transfer student or graduate student]. It's all new. I don't mean just the layout of the campus or the class schedule, the dining facilities or the book bill. As new as these things are to you, there are other more significant dimensions of orientation to university life than these things.  More...

Being Catholic in public (August 19, 2007)
There are few places in the United States where one's religious affiliation is a public concern, but politics is one of those. It impacts election. According to a New York Times article (July 22, 2007), "God '08: Whose, and How Much, Will voters Accept, religion plays a role in acceptability by the electorate. In the 1920s Alfred Smith's Catholicism was an electoral issue.  More...

A church is a church...isn't a church (?) (August 12, 2007)
For many, the Vatican/Pope Benedict XVI seems to have an awkward ability to unnecessarily stir the ecumenical waters. The latest example is the Commentary on Doctrinal Congregation Document which was published alongside Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church (29 June 2007). Some non-Catholics have reacted strongly to these documents in two general areas: (1) our congregation has been reduced to less-than-a-church, and (2) the Pope no longer considers me a Christian.  More...

Motu proprio (August 5, 2007)
On July 7, the Vatican published an Apostolic Letter, Summorum Pontificum, from Benedict XVI concerning what conditions the old Latin Mass (we know this as the Tridentine Rite, established in 1565) could be celebrated. The intention of this rite was to regularize the liturgy in its day. There was a lot that was in disarray in the Church at that time. No surprise that the Reformation was popular. This 1565 Missal, however, went through six further reforms until the 1962 Missal of Pope John XXIII.  More...

Corner clips: The Annulment process, in a nutshell (July 15, 2007)
When a party of a (former) marriage asks the Church to investigate the qualities of her/his marriage in order to render a judgment about its validity (or invalidity), this is called a formal process. It is also called the external forum because it involves a public forum in which to state the invalidity of the marriage. More colloquially this process is called an annulment process. What is an annulment about and what is the process?  More...

Corner clips: Non-Catholics and "re-marriage" (July 8, 2007)
So a couple comes into my office to talk about marriage preparation. First of all, congratulations! Let's hear some stories about how this all came about. It's cool.  More...

Corner clips: Invalid marriage, in general (July 1, 2007)
As Catholics we view marriage as a special touch with God, so much so that we claim it is a Sacrament, not just a "blessed union" or a natural blessing. The sacramental quality of marriage involves (1) the solemn and free exchange of promises (vows) between the spouses in the midst of the church assembled and (2) the daily living of these vows. Hence if there is a question of the validity of a marriage--that is, did this wedding and the subsequent marriage contain all of what we consider are the essential elements of a marriage--the church looks at these two areas. What constitutes the invalidity of marriage in these two areas?  More...

Corner clips: Can I marry a non-Catholic? (June 24, 2007)
I hear all kinds of strange conjectures about Catholics marrying non-Catholics. For instance: (a) if I marry a non-Catholic I can't get married in the church, (b) my marriage to a non-Catholic is not a sacrament, (c) if I marry a non-Catholic I am excommunicated.  More...

Corner clips: Place in Catholic marriage (June 17, 2007)
Temple in Judaism has a specific reference to the House of God in Jerusalem. It was here that sacrifice was offered to God for praise and for atonement. This edifice was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. That was the Second Temple, which had been re-built after the Babylonian Exile and restored to magnificence by King Herod. Christians have not had temples.  More...

Corner clips: Form (June 10, 2007)
All marriages between baptized Christians are sacraments in the eyes of the Catholic Church. Yes, this means that the Church views every marriage of two Christians (yes, non-Catholics) as a valid sacrament. The same is true of a Catholic with a non-Catholic Christian. Marriages involving a non-Christian are natural marriages, but nonetheless valid marriages.  More...

Corner clips: Qualities of Catholic marriage: willingness (June 3, 2007)
We have addressed the criteria of freedom and capacity for sacramental marriage in the Church. The third criterion is willingness.  More...

Corner clips: Qualities of Catholic marriage: capacity (May 27, 2007)
Age is not the only criterion of ability to marry, certainly not with the Catholic Church. The Church is maligned at times for "getting into the marrying business," and some of that attitude has to do with the rules and regulation (canon law) surrounding this institution. But the Church is one of the social bodies that grapples with the human (and spiritual) realities of marriage. There are certain psycho-emotional-social qualities that make or break a marriage. We call this set of criteria "capacity." These criteria are embodied in the consent.  More...

Corner clips: Qualities of Catholic marriage: freedom (May 20, 2007)
In order for a Catholic to enter into a valid marriage both parties must be free to enter into this covenant with each other. Freedom refers to an absence of personal or social impediments.  More...

Corner clips: A definition of marriage (May 13, 2007)
Would you be surprised to know that the Code of Canon Law did not have a definition of marriage until the 1983 A.D. revision?   More...

Ministry in flux at St. Paul (May 6, 2007)
St. Paul Catholic Center advertised for a full-time campus minister this spring but did not find an applicant able to fill the position. There were certain qualifications that are needed to handle this ministry. This result is not for lack of advertising this position in enough places where candidates would look. It is just one of those years. We'll try again next January.  More...

Summer Homework (April 29, 2007)
We all wish you IU students well this week of finals. Most of you will be gone by next Sunday. You will be missed during the summer time. We look forward to your return to the 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm Masses on August 26.  More...

Lenten remnants (April 22, 2007)
We are in the midst of celebrating the most joyous season of the Church year, Easter, and I am talking about Lent! Get outta here!   More...

And salvation happens (April 1, 2007)
Holy Week is a drama of one life, of many lives, in the mix and mess of human actions of fidelity, of betrayal, of impetuousness, of fear, of arrogance, of envy, of shock, and of fidelity. Oh, I mentioned fidelity twice. It deserves to be mentioned twice. In the world of power and violence it is underrated, yet it requires greater personal courage.   More...

Radical Catholicism (March 25, 2007)
Last week six St Paul IU students, Brother Patrick and I drove to Bethlehem Farm in West Virginia to engage in a service week. The Farm is on a mountain top--we can see Virginia from there: about 80 miles away [as the crow flies]--but it was also a spiritual mountaintop experience. What did we see and learn?  More...

Another Jesus sighting (March 11/18, 2007)
Two Canadian film directors claim to have found a first-century ossuary that definitively is that of Jesus (of Nazareth) and his family---ah, that is, Mary Magdalene and their son, Judas.  More...

A Season for Prayer (March 4, 2007)
Lent provides us with the impetus to do better. One of the disciplines of Lent is prayer. So let us look at prayer.  More...

Why discipline? (February 25, 2007)
Last year in an Indiana Daily Student (IDS) newspaper article a Catholic student commented on how impressed he was with the Muslim observance of Ramadan, and how he wished that his own tradition had a similar practice. Dah! I am saddened to hear that young Catholics might not even know about the spirituality of Catholicism, much less appreciate it. Well, here it is: Lent.  More...

For our good (February 18, 2007)
Lent begins this Wednesday, Feb 21. Don't let Lent happen "by accident." Anticipate it and let its spirit move you somewhere you have never been. Engage in fasting, prayer and almsgiving.  More...

Sacred Cows (February 4, 2007)
Every social group safeguards its sacred images or objects. These particular images or objects play an essential role in defining the most important principles or values of the group. Hence, the group develops a taboo system of protections for these images or objects.   More...

Thomas Aquinas (January 21, 2007)
Next Sunday, January 28, is the feast of St Thomas Aquinas (1220-1274). He was born in the region of Naples of a noble family. Their dream for him was that he become a Benedictine monk. He, however, desired to join a group of "itinerant friars" called Dominicans...  More...

A stewardship church (January 14, 2007)
I love this church, St Paul Catholic Center. I am not alone in this. We are rightfully known for many good works for the sake of the gospel. Many give generously of time, talent and treasure. It has given St Paul a special persona. But how many are actually participating?   More...

Virtue-bound (January 7, 2007)
In the secular world, the New Year has begun (as liturgical people, the "new year" began in Advent [Dec 3]). Whenever it begins, a new year gives the heart the possibility of being renewed. So what is new for us?  More...

The common Welfare (December 24 & 31, 2006)
I am seeking a fuller explanation of the executive plan, but it seems that Governor Daniels is going to sign an executive order that privatizes the Indiana welfare system.  More...

A word about communion (December 17, 2006)
Text from last Sunday's announcement: We instituted standing for the communion procession in October because it corresponds with the general norm of the church (GIRM) and the practice at the Cathedral.  More...

How much demand (December 10, 2006)
A season "with" expectation or a season "of" expectation. There is a difference.  More...

Season of stillness (December 3, 2006)
Is there a still point in your life and your soul? There is a sanctuary within each of us that is the core of our being. Its existence is there, but unless I am still enough or still long enough to detect this wondrous garden, it can go completely unnoticed.  More...

In good conscience (November 26, 2006)
This is the last part of an investigation of moral decision-making about a ticklish issue of sexuality: how can married couples insert some form of control in the number of children in the marriage guided by the norms of the Faith?  More...

Faithful discernment (November 19, 2006)
The last Corner ended with a promise to discuss how we, as faithful Catholics, strive to apply the norms of the faith with particular moments of our lives, in short, morality. The particular topic is genital sex (intercourse) and contraception based on two ideas derived from a proposed episcopal document on the subject.  More...

Interpreting norms (November 12, 2006)
Twice a year the bishops of the United States meet together to discuss matters affecting the church. The autumn meeting takes place just before Thanksgiving; they are meeting this week.  More...

Embodied spirituality (November 5, 2006)
I have relished the beauty of the turning leaves over the course of the past month. That is not the only tell-tale sign of a change of seasons: my body chemistry is changing, girding for the cooler weather–I'm eating more (to supply the internal engine with energy).  More...

In the world, not of the world (October 29, 2006)
28. The church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the state.  More...

Respect Life: war (October 22, 2006)
War is nasty business. It perdures in the human condition because...we humans fail to solve problems through less terminal means.   More...

Respect Life: Death in its various manifestations (October 15, 2006)
Death is a part of the life experience. None of us escapes this eventuality. Every society copes with the death of its members, usually in a reverential manner that respects the importance of life, the place of the deceased in the society, and the reality of death itself.   More...

Respect Life, Respect Women (October 5, 2006)
It is dangerous for women to live in this world. It always has been. The greatest danger is not from four-legged animals, but from the two legged kind with whom they bed and forage: yep, the men-folk.  More...

Papal talk...backfire? (October 1, 2006)
For the past couple of weeks Pope Benedict XVI has been the vortex of a storm over a quotation in his speech to the academic audience at the University of Regensburg on Sept. 12.   More...

The Communion Rite (September 24, 2006)
Today St. Paul parish community is implementing a format for communion which is slightly different from the recent past but which aligns with a theology of "receiving communion together."  More...

Everything I needed to know as a Catholic... (September 17, 2006)
There is a famous book, Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarten. The author claims that the virtues of social interaction were learned in kindergarten.  More...

9-1-1 (September 10, 2006)
What do these numbers evoke from us? Is it 9/11, a date of incredible tragedy that has spawned a national prerogative (foreign policy) to purge the world of a radicalized group?  More...

The Basics of Stewardship (September 3, 2006)
Stewardship is a newer work in Catholic vocabulary. The principles of stewardship–time, talent and treasure–however, are not unfamiliar to Catholics.  More...

Purpose (August 27, 2006)
Among the most popular how-to books for business and for living are those that outline purpose. It seems that these books should be no-brainers. Don't we all have a purpose in mind when we engage business or life?  More...

Self-Medicating...Self-Meditating (August 20, 2006)
Pharmaceutical prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) medications are not the only means whereby persons adjust their condition.   More...

Packing To Go (August 13, 2006)
Within a few weeks there will be a mass transit of young adults migrating to their next locus of occupation: university, college, and vocational tech schools.  More...

Comparing Clouds (August 6, 2006)
It happens to me every year...on August 6...every year since 1980. It was that year when someone pointed out to me that while Catholics celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration the secular world observes Hiroshima Day.  More...

Where does Judas fit? (May 7, 2006)
The Gospel of Judas is the latest "suppressed gospel" or "hidden text." Although it has been extant since the 1970s it has become a media feature of late.   More...

"The Peace of Christ Be with You." (April 23, 2006)
The gospel today continues the drama of the Easter Day event. It is "the evening of the first day of the week…" and, whereas we the listeners are joyous about the resurrection, the actors of the gospel are gripped with fear...  More...

Risen...and Nothing Is The Same (April 16, 2006)
Blessed Easter! Alleluia! Alleluia! (We have not been able to say or sing that word for 40 days!) This celebration makes a claim on our lives.   More...

Enter the Mystery (April 9, 2006)
This week is called Holy Week. And the end of this week is called the TRIDUUM, Latin for "the Three Days."   More...

Impact (April 2, 2006)
I am not a regular auditor of Pat Robertson's commentary. Most of my information about him comes from reading about his gaffs–those statements that he makes "in good faith" but which rudely condemn others.  More...

Tithing: A Spiritual Exercise (March 26, 2006)
Christians are into spirituality. It is packaged sometimes as attitude change and better thinking, or self-help and feel good techniques (`a la psychology).  More...

Scrutiny (March 19, 2006)
For several months those of us who regularly attend the 10:30 am Mass have watched a small cohort of folks being dismissed from the Assembly after the homily...  More...

"Lead Us Not Into Temptation" (March 12, 2006)
There seems to be a recovery of the notion of "sin" in the Church these days. For a while there was such an emphasis on grace (which did need to be recovered) and the good of ourselves that sin seemed irrelevant.  More...

Lenten Spirituality (March 5, 2006)
Lent-Easter is an important time of the Church year. First, we participate in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.  More...

Deus Caritas Est (God is Love) (February 12, 2006)
Pope Benedict XVI promulgated his first encyclical dated December 25, 2005. I have just seen the English translation in Origins, Vol 35 (33): 541-557, a publication of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB; see our library).  More...

Catholic Trivia Answers (Catholic Trivia)
Answers from the previous entry.  More...

Catholic Trivia (February 5, 2006)
Let's have some fun with a Catholic Trivia. Which can you answer?  More...

Title (January 29, 2006)
Theologians have a bad rap: ivory castle thinkers who are not in touch with normal life. This is not inaccurate for a number of theologian-types!  More...

A Different Approach (January 22, 2006)
The landmark decision Roe v. Wade was given by the Supreme Court on this day in 1973. Imagine, it is over thirty years ago!  More...

Gospel in Action (January 15, 2006)
The nation observes the birth of a key social and religious figure of the past century this week: Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. Jan 15, 1929).  More...

Christmas Joy in Mystery (January 1, 2006)
It is so central to our faith, yet it is a startling mystery even for modern thinkers. It holds the danger of ‘reducing’ the Divine to the pedestrian mire of our unsavory, messy human condition, yet without this touchstone we may seem abandoned by an uninterested Cosmic Maintaining Deity.   More...

Christmas Joy in Mystery (December 25, 2005)
It is so central to our faith, yet it is a startling mystery even for modern thinkers. It holds the danger of ‘reducing’ the Divine to the pedestrian mire of our unsavory, messy human condition, yet without this touchstone we may seem abandoned by an uninterested Cosmic Maintaining Deity.  More...

Cost of Respect (December 18, 2005)
I have heard the stories--you, too?—of "peer pressure" for high school girls (or mid-school) to perform sexually with male partners.  More...

Advent's Mary (December 11, 2005)
Mary is celebrated during this season in many ways: her Immaculate Conception (Dec 8), Nuestra Senñora de Tepeyac (Guadalupe, Dec 12), Christmas, and New Years: feast of Mary, Mother of God.  More...

Vatican Council II...Forty Years (December 4, 2005)
December 8th is the fortieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council in 1965. Pope John XXIII had called the Church to an aggiornamento, a renewal, to breathe new life into her mind, heart and soul.  More...

Newness (November 27, 2005)
No bells and whistles. But this Sunday ushers us into a new year for the Church. Advent, a word that means “coming,” begins our liturgical calendar.   More...

Kingdoms (November 20, 2005)
What is the logic behind the gospel of Christ the King Sunday (Matt 25:31-46)? It lauds those who are attentive to the vulnerable ones in society.  More...

Catholic (November 13, 2005)
It is a penchant of Catholics to be involved in public affairs, striving to interject some good.  More...

Presence, Reverence, Wholeness (November 6, 2005)
The Eucharist is that which joins us together and is also a place of debate among us (see Robert Mickens in The Tablet Oct 29).   More...

Difuntos (October 30, 2005)
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.” Words we speak—we pray—for loved ones who have departed.   More...

Another Silent Voice (October 16, 2005)
Women are still a silent social voice. Our post-industrial society has given new options to women in the social arena.   More...

Beginnings and Endings (October 9, 2005)
Medical science has affected the boundaries of human life. Through technological processes we have the power to intervene in nature’s processes.   More...

October -- Preferential Option for Life (October 2, 2005)
Among the human (and divine) institutions that defend and promote life in the world is the Catholic Church.  More...

How We Come Here ... And Where We Are Going (September 25, 2005)
St Paul Catholic Center means different things to different IU students, and at different time of one’s university experience.  More...

Ministries (September 18, 2005)
In the Gathering Space there are displays of a whole variety of ministries for St. Paul. It looks like we need a lot of ministers.   More...

Stewardship - Calculating Gratitude (September 11, 2005)
How can one calculate gratitude? Gratitude exceeds the boundaries of limits, certainly beyond stinginess. Well, we are not about the business of stingy giving...  More...

Stewardhip - True Source (September 4, 2005)
Only recently have I come to appreciate one particular human action as the most critical to living out the gospel. No, it is not faith, at least as I generally think of faith as a robust ascent of the will with an intellectual...  More...

Starting Smart (August 28, 2005)
Welcome one and all to IU. Welcome especially to those who are new to IU! For freshmen this is the beginning of a new chapter in your life, actually, one of the most significant changes in your life.  More...

Agenda: Higher Education (August 21, 2005)
Campus Ministry developed in response to the increasing number of Catholics who were attending non-Catholic universities. It all began in 1883 at the University of Wisconsin...  More...

Dominic Guzman, Saint (August 14, 2005)
It was a time of effervescence in Europe: the emergence of numerous cities and towns and free-standing universities. It was the thirteenth century.  More...

Working Things Out...Differently (August 7, 2005)
Ten years ago, July 1, 1995, I had just arrived in New Mexico. Within a week I was reading articles in the Albuquerque Journal about “the bomb” for the fiftieth anniversary of the atomic bomb.  More...

Matthew's Trademarks (July 31, 2005)
In this last of the reviews of the gospel of Matthew I wish to present some of the unique trademark features of this gospel.  More...

May Violence Yield to Righteousness (July 17, 2005)
Were you stunned by the news of the bombing of the Islamic Center near IU last Saturday morning? I was. Doesn’t it bring up the question, “What kind of town is this?” The physical effect of the bomb was relatively minor...  More...

Matthew and the Law and the Prophets (July 10, 2005)
The gospels have personalities. For instance, John emphasizes love whereas Luke is conscious of the poor. The gospel of Matthew is frequently identified with legalism, hence with judgment and guilt...  More...