**Warning, there may be some graphic language used in this piece. This article is modified from an upcoming book by Fr. Nelan that deals with growing through adversity. The language used conveys a particular style of writing and emotion. My father was born on the 22nd of December in 1930 and was every bit the…
“What’s brought you here?” I asked. “They said I could find help here,” the voice responded brusquely. I prodded further, “How long?” “Seven, no – wait – eight years now I’ve been here.” “Why didn’t you go back?” I asked without thinking. As that last question barely left my lips, I could see a tear…
“Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore, Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more, See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. “Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived; How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed. What God’s Son…
One day, while waiting in the front office for a client to come in, I was outed as being a pastor. She said there was something in my voice that affirmed for her that I either was in the past or am in the present someone who preaches. I smiled back and made a statement…
It isn’t so easy to spot physical and emotional abuse, though we’d like to believe we are astute enough to see the signs and symptoms. There might be bruises or some form of acting out. Perhaps a broken bone or emotional upheaval. After some investigation, we can deduce that something has happened to an individual…
Think for a moment on those things that have changed our lives. Take your time. I’ll still be here when you’re done. Did you think of the soft smile of a child cradled in their mother’s arms? Maybe it was some other joyous occasion – a wedding, anniversary, or birthday celebration for a dear loved…
(This post will be a challenging read for some out there. I only ask you keep an open mind, and read all the way through before making and judgments. Be open to my style of presentation. No heresy exists, but I do challenge the age old ways of thinking, and I do toy with the…
I had planned a rather long paper on professionalism and ethics in the church, but I quickly became jaded and upset over something that happened at my internship site – something few people in our varied societies get the chance to embrace, let alone experience. My internship is at a site where I can give…
“Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden, which will not become manifest.”1 Part 1 – Not Quite There Yet The sun is up early today. Muffled conversations fill the air around me and the scent of breakfast cooking in…
It is an issue that comes up from time to time, usually from people who have never heard of us or who have heard vicious rumors and lies spread by insecure and scared individuals – the validity of the Old, Emergent and Independent Catholic Churches. But fewer people know the real truth about how the…
