What’s missing? How about the everyday, commonplace expressions of love happening in families, in friendships, in schools, in businesses, in supermarkets, in the simple exchanges Catholics make throughout their lives?
Tag Archives: spirituality of the ordinary
Are We Misreading “The True Spirit of Christmas”?
By Joseph Stoutzenberger, December 24th, 2023. A Christmas Eve morning news program ended with a panel discussing “the true meaning of Christmas.” At the heart of the discussion was, of course, “Keep Christ in Christmas.” One commentator railed against the materialism underlying all the shopping and gift-giving. Another suggested that doing random acts of kindnessContinue reading “Are We Misreading “The True Spirit of Christmas”?”
Children and Visionaries
by Joseph Stoutzenber I was sitting in a newly redecorated university chapel next to an artist friend of mine. I asked him what he thought of the ornate crucifix behind the altar. He responded, “It pretends to be art.” Despite the many failed attempts at artistic expression intended to open one’s gaze to the holyContinue reading “Children and Visionaries”
America, Catholicism, and Race
by Joseph Stoutzenberger In the 1830s, a man who worked common jobs named William Otter kept a journal about his travels through the mid-Atlantic states. He spent some time in my hometown, Columbia, PA, on the banks of the Susquehanna, founded by a Quaker family to ferry people across the river. Columbia is not tooContinue reading “America, Catholicism, and Race”
The Art of Seeing
by Joseph Stoutzenberger In the 1970s, I taught religion in a Catholic suburban high school. An older man, part of the janitorial staff, cleaned the bathrooms and emptied the overflowing trash cans in the cafeteria after lunch. Generally, he was one of those invisible people, like wallpaper or one of the fixtures he cleaned, thatContinue reading “The Art of Seeing”
Can Speech Ever be Free?
Jesus was attuned to the reality that our words can be as deadly as physically harming another. Here is just one instance when he called out those who would speak ill of another: “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool’, you will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22).
Catholic Upbringing
I have been struck by reading that the movie’s (Barbie) creator was influenced by her Catholic high school experience for this film and an earlier one. Every upbringing makes an impact that carries over into adult life, but my antennae are attuned to reading about how Catholicism has made a difference in people’s lives.
Sacramental Seeing: Are There Limits?
A particularly touching religious site for me was the little chapel of St. Francis in the grand basilica in Assisi, erected in his honor. I discovered, however, that the most moving and heart-wrenching place I visited was the remains of the concentration camp at Dachau.
The Woman Wearing a Hat
I do know that I left bothered by what I had done or, in this case, not done. Wasn’t the message of Jesus that we are supposed to be bothered by people around us in need? Didn’t he tell us that no one is to be left out? And I gave voice to that message when I called out “hospitality” as being a sign of God at work within the human community.
What about Angels?
Angels are messengers from God who serve as protectors and heralds of good news. In the Old Testament, they tend to appear as human beings, often unexpectedly.
Joseph Stoutzenberger 