Our Brothers’ Keepers

Posted by - March 10, 2019

The demands of love are straightforward, but that is not to say they are easy: Love your neighbor as God loves you.  The commandment was given explicitly by Jesus but God had already made it clear from the very beginning that we are to care for each other. All the way back in the book

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Our Brothers’ Keepers

Posted by - March 3, 2019

The demands of love are straightforward, but that is not to say they are easy: Love your neighbor as God loves you.  The commandment was given explicitly by Jesus but God had already made it clear from the very beginning that we are to care for each other. All the way back in the book

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Four Aims of the Christian Life

Posted by - February 23, 2019

This past week, a headline caught my eye: “Pope Francis approves four priorities for the Jesuits’ next decade.” It was a story in America Magazine, and summarized the four guidelines, or “preferences” as the Jesuits refer to them. These concise directives struck me as helpful tools for laypeople who also want to live in conformity

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Observing the Annual Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Posted by - February 16, 2019

Last week, Karidat’s team joined the Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence here in the NMI to mark “Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.” The annual awareness month is observed in February and this year Vice Governor Palacios who officiated mentioned that this was his first proclamation signing.    This is a good opportunity to highlight some

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Familiarity That Promotes Dialogue

Posted by - February 9, 2019

Do you know the saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt”? Lately I have been considering why that saying has become so well-known. Ordinarily, it is referring to the withering of happiness in a marriage or romantic relationship over time. After the initial closeness of a romance gives way to (inevitable) disappointments, sometimes partners close themselves off to

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Secret Acts of Kindness

Posted by - January 27, 2019

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before others to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored

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Corporal Works of Mercy Teaching Tools

Posted by - January 20, 2019

The Corporal Works of Mercy as outlined by Christ in Matthew 25 give us direction for how to care for the bodily needs of people around us.  This great article offers inspiration to see living out these works of mercy beyond the basics.  I’ve created a few teaching tools to help us teach kids about the Corporal Works of Mercy, and

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Practicing Peace in 2019

Posted by - January 5, 2019

The calendar year now launches with a World Day of Prayer for Peace. Cardinal Tagle, in his homily on New Year’s Eve, spoke about how to achieve peace.  His proposed recipe: live a life of love and caring. In this way you will achieve justice AND peace.  “We want peace? Let us learn to care

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On Tents and True Homes

Posted by - December 30, 2018

Last week’s column spoke about the new phase we are entering in post-Super typhoon recovery. Clean-up is, in large part, complete and now it is time to rebuild. The timing seems right; we find ourselves at the start of both a new liturgical and a new calendar year. It’s a great time for new beginnings

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Here for the Long Haul: “The Yutu 4,865”

Posted by - December 23, 2018

Things look a little different around Saipan these days. I hope they do in Tinian, too. There are no more long lines at gas stations or water suppliers.  No more traffic jams in As Lito because of the S-(Supplemental) and D-(Disaster) NAP (food stamps). There are fewer “Feds” driving around, too, replaced now by the

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