my father's funeral
A time of sorrow, mourning the loss of my dad who was father, grandfather, uncle, brother, friend to many.
After being treated for kidney cancer for almost 8 years, he died in hospice care at home— with my mom and aunt by his side.
During Lent, priests wear a purple stole. I think ‘the scarf’ is what my niece used to call it when she was little. A long narrow strip, worn over the neck. There's a tradition in the priesthood that your very first confession, your first confession that you hear as a priest, you wear a purple stole and then hand that to your father as a keepsake. And then also that goes with dad to the cemetery– for fans of Monopoly this is kind of your “get out of jail free” card. “Hey, Boss, my kid– he's a priest; so don't forget that.” Whether he'll need to redeem those points, we'll trust in God's mercy and goodness.
Of course mom gets something special, too; at ordination the priest's hands, our hands, are anointed with oil. And then they give us a little cloth to put between our hands so then that cloth is handed to mom. She’s healthy and active, so I’m grateful to spend time with her, and she is a loving grandma, too. And then I invented one for grandma. Obviously Grandma needs something special; so the stole I wore at my First Mass at the big German church up on the hill right here at Sacred Heart– so she got the stole from that. These rich traditions, that maybe some folks are familiar with, but worth mentioning— the beauty of our faith that we share.
mourning the death of a Jesuit pope; celebrating the start of an American pope
Love & prayers for Pope Francis as we mourn his passing.
An honor and a joy to meet him in January in Rome at a meeting with leaders of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network.
He was like a Spiritual Grandpa— warm, welcoming, loving
I saw him just before he went to the hospital. Clearly he was in pain, but I could still see his energy and joy
He gave me a rosary. I treasure it.
Grateful for his words and witness, prayers & actions. He led us in prayer
Now, we pray that he may rejoice with the Risen Lord & His Mother in the eternal kingdom.
And, we welcome Pope Leo XIV! Our first Chicago pope!
I live in Milwaukee, 90 miles north of Chicago. I go to the big city to visit Jesuit friends, enjoy a pizza and more. It is a joy to imagine him, as Bobby and later as Fr Bob, walking the same streets, seeing the lake and the skyscrapers, eating the same pizza. Viva El Papa! Go Sox, Go!
Jesuit final vows!
I made my final vows as a Jesuit, May 3 in St Louis
Many graces
I professed vows to my Jesuit provincial as he held the Eucharist
There I kneel before God, Mother Mary, the Saints, and the Church—asking for grace and help, both human and divine.
I was especially struck by St Ignatius’ insistence that we [I] not forget the ‘instruction of children.’ I have 2 nieces and a nephew in middle school. I have celebrated special Masses for family and at their school. Jesuits lead many universities; others are in administration in parishes or other institutions. Amidst the meetings and planning— we should never forget ‘the little ones,’ so dear to the Heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Vow formula—
“I, Joseph William John Therese Laramie, make my profession, and I promise to Almighty God, in the presence of his Virgin Mother, the whole heavenly court, and all those here present, and to you, Reverend Father Tom Greene SJ, representing the Superior General of the Society of Jesus and his successors and holding the place of God, perpetual poverty, chastity and obedience;
and, in conformity with it, special care for the instruction of children,
according to the manner of living contained
in the apostolic letters of the Society of Jesus and its Constitutions.”
A Professional Setback Plowing the Path to Sainthood
My favorite Jesuit saint got fired from his most important job. This marked the beginning of his true Jesuit mission. Let me explain.
St. Claude Colombière, S.J. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.
The Father, the Son and the Hay Maze
Fall is hay-maze season in America.
My Cub Scout troop went to the St. Louis County fall festival. I was 7. We carved pumpkins, rode in a wagon pulled by a tractor and ate our weight in caramel apples. As the sun was setting, my friend Jason and I still hadn’t gone through the hay maze.
Body and Blood, Heart and Soul: the Eucharist and the Sacred Heart
[written for USCCB National Eucharistic Revival, feast of Corpus Christi]
Imagine this scene: You are in a terrible accident and an ambulance rushes you to the hospital. Wheeled inside, you are in pain, confused, with bright lights shining in your face. And you hear this conversation above you:
- It’s bad, Doctor, very bad.
- What does she need?
- She’s lost a lot of blood. She’ll need a pint, maybe two at least.
- With my blood type, I’m a universal donor. I can donate.
- Doctor, that’s generous. But is this wise? Also, she sustained violent trauma to her heart.
- Ok. I’m a trained heart surgeon. I can do the surgery.
- Are you sure?
- It can be hard to see with the wounds, but this is my daughter.
- Doctor, it’s very serious. She may need a heart transplant.
- I know. I’ll give her my heart.
full text here: https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/post/body-and-blood-heart-and-soul?fbclid=IwAR3v3vFiSxmx3yuZ5u5Ooc9bOzy6FDcIw-FfuaQ_optdXtqMW0Ol21McFd8
My heart, with His Heart, for all hearts
For centuries, Christians have honored the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Jesus Himself has a beating, human heart.. The eternal Son of God was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary; He grew as a boy and into a young man; He preached, taught, suffered and died on the Cross; He rose to new life in His Resurrected Body. The risen Jesus has a human heart that is beating with love for you and me, right now.
full text here: https://focusequip.org/uniting-my-heart-with-the-sacred-heart-for-the-salvation-of-all-hearts/
The Eucharist and the Sacred Heart: Friendship with Jesus
Contemporary debates about the Eucharist among Catholics are often rooted in disagreements about which aspects of the Eucharist ought to be emphasized or de-emphasized in our contemporary culture. The writings of St. Ignatius Loyola and the traditional Catholic devotion to the Sacred Heart highlight a specific aspect of the Eucharist: friendship…. The Eucharist is a means to deeper communion with Jesus and others [America Media, June 2022]
full article here: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/06/17/eucharist-sacred-heart-ignatius-laramie-243180?fbclid=IwAR1c7sy7i7XIdOr08WfC4PEtYQALZtH6KOYgAmXslBqRFUfs-uXB1uE5j2s
Feast of Corpus Christi, 2022. Procession to St Joan of Arc chapel, campus of Marquette University
"Mom?" "Son?" The Risen Jesus greets His Mother
Mary sees her Son with the cross. St Ignatius considers her meeting Him in glory.