The joy of being a steward for the Lord
In today’s world, we are busy. Somehow, we have misplaced the spirituality of stewardship. Can you picture Mary today? After she heard the angel’s proclamation, she’d think about all she had to do.
Advent Concert in Anchorage to aid homeless
The annual Advent Concert at St. Patrick Church (2111 Muldoon Road, Anchorage) will take place Dec. 1, 7-9:30 p.m. The concert will include Advent music and reflection. Proceeds from the event will go to help support Catholic Social Service programs.
The purpose of intelligence & wisdom
So, what should we say regarding those two words — intelligence and wisdom — that we use so often in common conversation? Intelligence, obviously, is that human ability to understand something, to separate it from or compare it to something similar. It is the brainpower we are born with that guides us safely throughout our lives and helps us find our place in the world community.
Restoring hope for the homeless of Anchorage
Restoring hope — this is our pledge at Catholic Social Services this winter and every year. As we look around our community now, we see a great need for hope and for a sense of home for so many. It is important to be connected with family and loved ones, to feel supported and able to make safe and healthy choices for yourself and for those you care about.
‘Let me work’: Social Security Disability Insurance needs rethinking
Social Security Disability Insurance is generally a permanent condition in that once in the program, only about 28 percent ever again engages in paid work. The concern involves those recipients seeking at some level to return to work and enjoy the simple human dignity of contributing towards their own needs.
Safe haven: Shelter offers second chance to young Alaskans on the streets
Fifteen-year-old Jeni Lachance approached Covenant House in downtown Anchorage and peered through the glass doors for her first glimpse inside a homeless shelter. She stood in the bleak November darkness, uncertain what to do though she had no alternatives.
November liturgies point to the beginning of eternity
During November our liturgical celebrations draw attention to the culmination of our earthly pilgrimage to the kingdom of heaven. We do well to ponder regularly the source of our life in God, the reason for our being expressed in God’s will, and our destination as eternity with God.
Jesuit recalls adventurous decades serving in remote Alaska
Jesuit Father Chuck Peterson is a big man with a big voice well known to generations of Alaskan villagers. As a young man he dreamed about being a priest in Alaska. Today, after a career spanning more than 50 years serving indigenous people, mostly in Alaska, he dreams of returning to the Last Frontier following a devastating illness.
Suffering offered to God is not meaningless
Redemptive suffering happens when human suffering is offered up in union with the Passion of Jesus. At that point it can remit the just punishment for one’s sins or for the sins of another.
Overcoming the storm of domestic violence
Another image I have this time of year, especially when we hear of so many communities devastated by storms, is how people come together when a shared crisis occurs. Individuals and communities all over the country and the world have offered assistance and prayers to those suffering from destruction and loss. As Catholics we understand the need to offer relief to those in vulnerable situations. We try to give them hope that recovery is possible.