The Mother of God, and of you and me
Each year on January 1, the Church celebrates Mary as the Mother of God. It is from Mary that Jesus took flesh — our humanity.
Archbishop
Jesus comes into our imperfect world
The birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise to King David to establish a kingdom that would have no end. Jesus, the Son of God, comes to heal the wounds of sin and division, to cast down the mighty from their thrones, and to lift up the lowly.
Offering up our sufferings for our brothers and sisters
On the feast of St. Francis, Pope Francis issued a new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, calling for the building up of the one human family. “We were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love,” the pope wrote. “We cannot be indifferent to suffering; we cannot allow anyone…
Building a culture of life
As Catholics, we praise God for his creative genius. We proclaim that all life is good, and that every human life is very good. Every human life from the moment of conception is a sign of God’s free choice to bring forth new life. The choice is God’s. God chooses.…
A Catholic dictionary for pastoral planning
As we enter into a more public phase of the archdiocese’s pastoral planning process, I want to review some language. This may seem elementary, but it is important that when we hear and use certain words, we operate with common definitions.
A call to address racism in our hearts and community
The Catholic bishops of the United States recently issued a pastoral letter against racism entitled Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love. In this instruction, we call for a conversion of hearts, minds and institutions to address the evils of racism that still exist in our country and…
Pentecost and the newness of Christ
Just as Lent prepares us for Easter, so, in a certain sense, does the Easter season lead us naturally to Pentecost.
Be stouthearted — wait for the Lord
This column is written on the same day I made the unprecedented decision to restrict the public celebration of the Eucharist for the Archdiocese of Seattle. More than likely at the time of this reading, we are still living with this new reality, and the advance of this COVID-19 health…
Lent, a time for personal conversion
Over the years, I have noticed that the crowds at Mass on Ash Wednesday rival even Christmas and Easter. There is something attractive about being called to renew our relationship with God, about the penitential nature of the day and of this season that is fundamentally about conversion.