This morning a remarkable event took place…it was rain, rain, rain, rain in Texas and in August!
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When I was reflecting on what to write for this column, I thought of the story of the Good Samaritan as narrated in the Gospel of Luke 10:25-37. But the term “missionary culture” kept popping into my head. I had no idea what a missionary culture would be in this context, and I haven’t heard or read about it before. But with further reflection and prayer I concluded that I could come to a new definition of the term “missionary culture” in light of the inspiration I was receiving. I wish to share with you the product of my reflection on what I understand “missionary culture” to mean in the context of the parable of the Good Samaritan.
When the Lord appeared to two of his followers on their way to Emmaus, it was obvious that the men were cold, disappointed, and confused about all that had happened in recent times, especially the crucifixion of the man called Jesus. They were at a loss as to what they could do now that he was no more. And even though they had heard rumors of his rising, they couldn’t verify that they were true. This was a cold moment, a moment of decision. Should they continue to believe in the teachings of a man who had died, or begin a different way of life? It’s obvious that the discouragement of these two disciples at this point far outstripped their hope.
For a while, I have been studying the topic of race in American and Catholic history. It is a difficult topic for obvious reasons, but it is also a rewarding one. In fact, I have been greatly edified learning about figures like Venerable Augustus Tolton, St. Katharine Drexel, Servant of God Thea Bowman and others. If you’re looking for a way into such stories, check out “Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood.”
With the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v Wade, June 24 will no doubt be remembered as an historic day by pro-life advocates the world over. I have to admit that my thoughts were elsewhere that day – focused on life’s last stage – as my family bid farewell to a beloved uncle, our family patriarch.
As we come to celebrate Father’s Day, I wanted to write to you from a dad to a dad. Thank you for all you do every single day for your family, especially your little ones.
Being a father requires a man to acknowledge his mortality. From a purely biological perspective, the sexual drive is a program for reproduction that presumes the death of the one generating new life. Leon Kass, a brilliant physician and philosopher, asserts this truth in a stark manner: “Sexual desire, in human beings as in animals, points to an end that is partly hidden from, and ultimately at odds with, the self-serving individual: sexuality as such means perishability and serves replacement. The salmon swimming upstream to spawn and die tell the universal story: sex is bound up with death, to which it holds a partial answer in procreation. This truth the salmon and the other animals practice blindly; only the human being can understand what it means.”
By Father Jacob Dankasa Special to The Texas Catholic The last words of a beloved one are very important. In…
Plans are well underway for the 2024 Synod — that big meeting to advise the bishop about the spiritual, material and administrative situation of the Dallas Diocese. Essential to its success are the “listening sessions” now taking place: two years of honest and charitable dialogue for the good of the Church and her mission in the world.
The word sacrifice means several things. In a religious or cultic sense, it may mean “the offering of animal, plant, or human life or of some material possession to a deity, as in propitiation or homage” But in everyday usage it may mean the giving up of something that is considered valuable by one person for something of higher value or for a good that may benefit someone else.