Spirituality

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

The weekly excursion to the grocery store is always kind of interesting—especially on weekends. One sees the elderly going about methodically, quietly minding their business. The middle-aged without kids usually somewhat more hurried. That parent with older kids—or teens by themselves—even more rushed and more harried, the kids in various stages of boredom and courtesy (is it that hard to say “Excuse me” … you young whippersnappers!!) And, of course, the range of young parents with little kids—quiet kids, bored kids, grabby kids, screamers … frazzled parents showing Read More

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

In every monotheist’s musing comes the question, “Why did God make us?” After all, if God is God, eternal and self-existent in Himself, He certainly doesn’t need us—we puny little humans who came along a paltry few tens of thousands of years ago and are, as we hear in scriptures, simply “dust and ashes” … or, using a favorite Star Trek term, “bags of mostly water”, with a few handfuls of chemicals thrown in. 

Secondly, think about what are many of our favorite books and stories. Do we not love images and stories in which people help one another or rescue the helpless, especially those Read More

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, a happy Valentine’s Day (or week, depending on when you read this) to you all…our annual societal tribute to romance … to affection … to luuuvvvv. For you husbands that forgot, well … I hope the couch is comfy. (“Ouch…move over, dog!”) Even after all these years, I remember still our 1^st grade exercise of making Valentines for all our classmates … even the “yucky” girls. Yet, it wasn’t long before those girls weren’t quite so yucky anymore, and then hardly any time when a young lad thinks of little else … the mere presence of his beloved bringing incomparable joy … and her absence Read More

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Oh, the dreaded—the detested—alarm … the daily tocsin calling us forth from sound slumber unto another day’s labor. Yet, arise we must … though the warm tentacles of bedding wrap themselves ever more tightly until we force ourselves from their oh-so-seductive embrace so that we might face the day. Each day becomes much like its predecessor … as is its successor. As Job exclaims frustratingly: “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery? Are not his days those of hirelings…who waits for his wages…” (Job 7:1-4) Hmmm … such a cheery thought.

Yet, that attitude Read More

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, a new president with his staff now firmly ensconced, and now we look to four governed years no doubt very differently from the preceding four years due to vast differences between outgoing and incoming. As we witness daily in the media, the situation elicits cheers from the victorious and laments from the defeated. Yet, so it is with every change of administration in national, state or more local elections—speculations about “the devil we know and the devil we don’t” disparities.

This happens in religious groups as well, whether it be with pope or pastor … whisperings Read More

By Fr. Glenn Jones:

It’s hard to deny that we’re entering a new era—the change of presidency, coming out of pandemic, plus a number of other issues you could no doubt add on your own. Assuming good intention, each of us thinks that his own idea about solving problems is the best; that’s the very reason we maintain a position. And so, when someone opposes our own eminent idea, our knee-jerk reaction is often that “He is out of his mind!”, or, more succinctly, “What an idiot!”

That must have been the feeling of some of Jesus’ hearers when they said that of Him: “He is out of His mind!” (Mark 3:20-21)—our Catholic Read More