by Fr. Jim Chern
Ash Wednesday is probably one of the most well-known Catholic days of the year. And yet, it always feels a little strange—especially walking around here on campus. There’s nothing subtle about a dirty ashen cross…
If you were to take a look at my school transcripts you would pretty quickly see that I was not the greatest of students. Nothing dramatic that screamed “what is up with that?” In a…
A week ago at Sunday Mass, we started into what many scholars call “the greatest sermon ever given”—the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus opens with some of the most recognizable lines from scripture, the Beatitudes:…
Today’s Gospel is one of those passages we almost know too well. “Blessed are the poor in spirit…”—we hear it and instantly recognize the script. It’s like the Jeopardy clue everyone gets right: “What are…
I’ve got a confession that tends to surprise people—especially the seminarians I work with as a spiritual director. Every so often, one of them comes back from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. They’re glowing.…
Have you ever been handed one of those inspirational quote sheets—maybe during an icebreaker, a retreat, or a mandatory HR training—where someone proudly points out how every religion basically says the same thing? “Do unto…
For most people, Christmas is already over. The decorations are boxed away, the trees are on the curb, and the familiar rhythm of daily life has returned. The music has faded, the gatherings are finished,…
Happy New Year, everyone. If you’re like most people, you’ve already thought at least once: This year has to be different. Not perfect. But different. There’s something about flipping the calendar that makes us startlingly…
Every January 1st, we walk through the church doors with a strange mix of feelings. On one side, there’s a cautious hope—the kind that comes with flipping to a new page, stretching out a blank…
Every December, the same tensions seem to surface—just with new packaging. We see controversies over neighborhoods and homeowners’ associations arguing about Christmas lights: how bright they can be, how long they can stay up, whether…