A blessed Holy Week to all. Holy Week, the most sacred week on the Christian calendar, containing the Sacred Triduum or sacred three days, is a gift given to reflect on the climax of Jesus’ life. It’s a week where we see what his teachings and actions led him to. So much meaningful and [...]
ME AND MY SHADOW FROM THE PROFESSOR In a recent conversation with a very close friend, I heard this response to part of our give-and-take, “Stop walking in your own shadow.” It stopped me in my tracks. I trust my friend and thus I knew my response had to be hurtful. I know that [...]
The Apostles were drunk! Pentecost is about the celebration of unconditional love. Have we ever loved anyone unconditionally? Have we ever experienced being loved unconditionally? If we have, then we can begin to understand/experience what God’s love for us is all about. Let our prayer be a reflection on the truth of our own experience. [...]
“For Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old yeast… but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5: 7-8) The HOLY season of Lent is upon us. Lent is what we call a penitential season. For Christians, Penance is a necessity. In fact, the [...]
REFLECTION ON THE OCCASION OF INTERFAITH INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY At THE HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER, GLEN COVE, NY Good morning. My name is Donald Russo. I come to give a personal reflection. I am a good Catholic boy from a good Catholic family, or so I’ve been led to believe. But eighty years ago, what [...]
What is the greatest Christmas carol? It’s one we virtually never hear sung. It was sung by Mary, the pregnant teenager, as she visited her cousin. It is the Magnificat! (Luke 1:46-55). She tells us what Christmas is all about. The Son to whom she would give birth will change the world in unforeseen ways. [...]
I always thought I was a fairly patient individual. Waiting was not usually a problem. I’d stand on lines at the supermarket or the bank, or even wait for a slow computer. I would find something to think about or even pray about. But recently I found out I wasn’t as patient as I thought. [...]
“When I help the poor, I’m a saint. When I tell them why they’re poor, I’m a Communist.” (St. Oscar Romero, martyred Archbishop of El Salvador). We have said that to be holy is the practical expression of God’s Holiness (see “Our Call to Holiness”), but this leaves room for diversity and our uniqueness. How [...]
It’s not just for priests, nuns and brothers anymore. Especially for people in the pews, the “watershed” moment of all of Vatican II was its emphasis on the universal call to holiness. We can now take our place as fully recognized members of the Church and not as second-class citizens in a top heavy, “trickle [...]
We’re not talking Marriott, Hilton or Hyatt, but we are talking HOSPITALITY. The Gospel of John gives us a hint that Jesus could do a mean barbecue (John 21:9) and that he liked a good party, especially ones that lasted more than six hours (Cana). For us, too, it’s the season to barbecue, to entertain [...]
