Corporal Work of Mercy: To build a better world through choices that avoid violence, exploitation, and selfishness. Reflect on the collage of images below. At the center is a person deep in thought. Around him is the world in which he lives and the world that his choices impact. He is placed at the center because his choices will ultimately impact him as well. How does humanity’s choices impact the different parts of creation depicted in each image? What are the implications for humanity when those choices are made? What are the choices you face on a daily basis that either support or challenge our call to Care for Creation? The heart of Pope Francis’ Corporal Work of Mercy for Creation is choices: Choices that you and I make and their moral implications. The heart of selfishness toward creation is when we adopt the ethic of, The only choice that matters is what I want to use creation for to … Continue reading →

This past weekend, the readings the Catholic Church used for Mass had a clear apocalyptic overtone. For those of you who are not familiar with apocalyptic literature, it is a series of texts that oftentimes speak of the end of the world. At the same time, we cannot reduce these passages to mere doom and gloom. True apocalyptic literature always points to something from the past, something that is going on in the present, and something that is pointing to the future. Many who interpret the Book of Revelation fixate on future events, trying to guess when the end of the world will come. Christ, himself, in this weekend’s Gospel, dissuades this approach. Rather, we need to stop and first ask, “How would the people of Jesus’ time have experienced these texts?” The problem is, living over 2,000 years after these texts were penned, we don’t have the common experience of Jesus’ time to see the clear connections to what … Continue reading →

What is your opinion of global warming? Though this question usually leads to a plethora of dueling political, theological, scientific, and personal ideologies about climate change, most people do believe we should be good stewards of creation. The point of division is what care for creation should look like and how should it be done? The more I write, pray, and reflect on the question of care for creation, I think that one of the struggles of getting on the same page with the environment is the use of a language of extremes to accentuate subtlety of change. For example, smoking is not allowed in any public building in the state of Wisconsin. When this policy was enacted, there was much debate about the relationship between personal freedom and public health. Years later, while on vacation, I was surprised to learn that smoking is not banned in public buildings in the state of Oregon. When a good friend of mine joined … Continue reading →

As a Catholic Priest, there is much in our world that can trouble the soul. Whether it be very public troubles like church scandals or more personal troubles like a parishioner dying of cancer, the twofold ability to both enter into these troubles with Christ’s love, but also remove my heart from them has been essential. To state this more plainly, detachment of heart, upholding the dignity of others, and finding an ability to laugh if things start to get a little too heavy! Unfortunately, there are times when laughter is not only impossible, but would be inappropriate. This past week in the United States, we have dealt with such times whether it be the mailing of bombs to current and past elected officials or the antisemitic assassination of eleven of God’s children at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. There is much that can be and should be said to address these tragedies. Unfortunately, in the spirit of the … Continue reading →

An interesting topic to discuss with priests is their feelings about marriage preparation. Some priests feel that marriage preparation should take the shape of priestly formation, requiring multiple years of preparation for the Sacrament. Others, such as myself, take the approach that engaged couples that seek the Sacrament are doing the best they can in the situation they are in. Therefore, in the spirit of Pope Francis, the best approach is to accompany them, acknowledge that the situation a couple is in may not be ideal, but invite them to slowly move toward the ideal with God’s grace and the support of a community of faith. Both approaches have merit. It would be wonderful if a married couple would approach the Sacrament with multiple years of formation. I even know some brother priests who have adapted this mentality in their ministry. The couples they have for marriage are very well formed theologically and embrace their faith deeply. The only problem … Continue reading →

I’m happy to share with the readers of The Catholic Astronomer that I will be presiding at Evening Vespers for Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology on November 15th to kick off a new initiative in faith and science. Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, the school that educates the seminarians from my home Diocese of La Crosse who attend Saint Francis Seminary, has been awarded a major grant from The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to make education in science a part of the formation program for future priests. The President and Rector of Sacred Heart School of Theology, Father Thomas Knoebel, stated that the purpose of this grant will be to help people come closer to God through understanding God’s creation. “This grant affirms Sacred Heart’s position in the Catholic Church as a leading seminary whose graduates serve in dioceses and religious orders throughout the United States, and is thus … Continue reading →