During this season of the Resurrection we are reminded that Jesus invites intercessors to encounter him in his crucified-resurrected humanity. In him we see what ‘death destroyed, life restored’ looks like: “Once I was dead, but now I am alive for ever and ever” (Rev. 1:18). He is with us in the glory of a…

There are many things that can be said of the Holy Trinity, but St. John the Evangelist tells us simply that “God is love” (1 John 4: 8, 16). These three words actually speak the most profound truth about God: Love is the very “inner life” of the Holy Trinity. Here, we are speaking about…

Jesus is always the One who comes in the power of the Spirit of the Lord. His saving mission was carried out completely in the power of the Holy Spirit. After he was baptized by St. John the Baptist at the Jordan River, we are told that “the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily…

On the day of Pentecost God brought about the fulfillment of His great promise spoken through the Prophet Ezekiel: “I will put my spirit within you…” (Ezekiel. 36:27). The Father promised to place within each of us what is most personal to Him, His own “Spirit of holiness”. This reveals how much He truly loves…

Recently, I was in a Catholic Church that has a beautiful back altar. On the vertical front of this back altar, in the center set in relief, was an image of the Victorious Lamb reclining on the top of a closed book that had a red cover and golden page edges. Seven golden tabs were…

In Nebraska there are years when, during the winter, explosive experts in helicopters have to fly over the Missouri or Platte Rivers or other rivers to drop down dynamite to blow up huge chunks of ice that threaten the flow of the river. It requires this explosive power in order to restore a proper flow…

I was first exposed to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal when I was a junior in high school. I had become a lector in my home parish. On one occasion I was assigned to lector at a Sunday mass in the Catholic grade school gym. An Irish priest with a brogue was presiding. I finished proclaiming…

In the second Lord of the Rings movie, “The Two Towers”, there is a scene where the Ents, the walking trees, go to war against the enemy forces of Isengard. At one point the tree herder, Treebeard, gives a command to two other Ents telling them, “break the dam; release the river.” With that they…