Nov 22, 2021 | Pondering and Kindling
The headline of the lead article immediately grabbed my attention. Our Memphis daily newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, shouted in large black letters: The US has no Black Catholic saints. Could a future one be buried in Memphis? (10-17-21) The picture accompanying the...
Nov 15, 2021 | Pondering and Kindling
Not long ago, I went through two or three weeks of difficulty sleeping. One evening, in the closet where I prepare for bed, I found a small placard hanging in a very obvious place, “Don’t Count Sheep; Talk to the Shepherd.” That’s SO, Jerry.” Jerry is my wife, nothing...
Nov 7, 2021 | Pondering and Kindling
On the Christian calendar November 1 is celebrated as “All Saints Day.” The practice began in the 4th century to commemorate the martyrs who had died for the faith. Over time, it developed as a celebration of all the saints of the church, whether known or unknown. In...
Nov 1, 2021 | Pondering and Kindling
Recently, two brief news articles caught my attention. According to a study in the medical journal Pediatrics, during COVID-19, more than 120,000 children in the U.S have lost a parent or grandparent who was a primary caregiver. More than half of these children are...
Oct 25, 2021 | Pondering and Kindling
“It isn’t any of our business, is it, Lord?” A little girl with a tender conscience asked this question in her evening prayer. She had seen a poor, needy man on the street that day. “Oh, Mama,” she had said, “let’s help him.” The mother had answered, “Come...
Oct 18, 2021 | Pondering and Kindling
I remember it as though it were yesterday. I was driving east on Poplar Avenue in Memphis when I noticed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. The large letters said, “I AM A GENERIC CHRISTIAN.” That got my attention. I never thought about anyone being a generic...
