Today’s the feast of St. Anthony, the “finder of lost things.” And at Cross Catholic Outreach, we’re also in the business of finding lost things. Working with our ministry partners, we help people find hope and new beginnings. Kind of like the story of 20-year-old Anyeli at the Villa Mornese Salesian Home for Girls in Mexico.
Thoughts for St. Joseph’s Day
Little is known about the life of St. Joseph. Back in the 1st century, there were no paparazzi to spy on the daily activities of all of Jesus’ family members. But the basic facts are impressive enough: a simple Jewish carpenter, a “righteous man,” appointed with the responsibility of raising God’s own Son.
Answering the Call
As the American Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Katharine Drexel today, I am reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” (Isaiah 58:10).
Happy St. Stephen’s Day!
If you’re like me, you probably never paid much attention to the lyrics of Good King Wenceslas. Oddly enough, the classic Christmas carol says nothing about Christmas. It does, however, mention the “feast of Stephen,” which falls on December 26.
Hail, Christ Our King!
Where are the borders of Christ’s kingdom? Are they racial? National? Planetary? Galactic? It seems absurd to try to place any limit on Christ’s reign. When we say his kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:36), we’re not putting God in a box – we’re putting this world in a box and confessing that heaven is supreme.