Author Archives: Father Joe

We find ourselves in a society where priorities have shifted and many in the past are judged by current standards or awareness. Often this change in mindset is dismissive of faith and the contributions of bygone heroes, both secular and … Continue reading →

It should be said that there are increasing numbers of figures regarded as saints even though they have not been declared definitively so by the Church. As a priest who ministers to many believers in the African-American community, I can … Continue reading →

COMMENT & QUESTION Pope Francis remarked at an ecumenical prayer service on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul that “God suffers when we, who call ourselves his faithful ones, put our own ways of seeing things before his, … Continue reading →

When many people think of the saints they narrow their appreciation to those in the canonical listing. The Church herself seems to reinforce this mentality in that public veneration is only approved for those holy men and women vetted by … Continue reading →

The halos granted saints in art are not visible in mortal life. They are not demigods who walk upon clouds in this life but flesh-and-blood men and women whose feet tread the same grass and dirt as all mortals. The … Continue reading →

Many stereotypes infect how we imagine saints. Some wrongly suppose they take dark delight in personal suffering, fasting to the point of starvation and inflicting mortification to agonize the body. A loftier view would presume they pray all the time, … Continue reading →

Is 8:23-9:3 / Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14 / 1 Cor 1:10-13, 17 / Mt 4:12-23 We need to get some perspective or background to the reading from Isaiah: “First the Lord degraded the land of Zebulun and the land of … Continue reading →

Today, there is a drastic loss of the faith from the heart of Western culture. Not only is there a virulent ignorance that feigns enlightenment, but a growing prejudice against all things religious.  This includes many consciences that lack suitable … Continue reading →

We are not an orphaned people— we have the Lord and each other. Saints are not made in isolation. Neither are saints self-made because holiness is only possible through the mysterious movement of divine grace. The communion of the saints … Continue reading →

Some anti-Catholic apologists spurn our preoccupation with saints as if it might distract us from the centrality of Christ. However, in truth, our fascination with saints is a testimony of our corporate or communal understanding of faith— not a multitude … Continue reading →