Formation

Saint John the Baptist, Mother Seton, and the Meaning of Birthdays

June 24 is the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, coming exactly half a year from Christmas. Everyone loves a birthday, but St. Elizabeth Ann Seton intuitively saw something the Catholic Church also uniquely sees: birthdays have a deep and powerful meaning.

Don’t You Understand?

I never gave much thought to what is involved when I hear or ask the question, “Don’t you understand?”

A Vincentian View: The Body of Christ

On occasion, some college campuses run a program called “The Last Lecture.”  We have done it a few times at St. John’s.

How My Father taught me about “Our Father”

A seminarian opened my eyes! Some 50+ years ago, I was his supervisor in what was then called a field education program. He was sharing something that dawned on him after visiting a local prison.

A Conductor Notices

A Conductor Notices

We may sometimes feel like that piccolo player – that we don’t have much to offer, that if we stopped our ministry no one would notice anyway. Yet the Great Conductor notices, and needs us to complete his orchestral masterpiece!