Restoration
Column: Word Made Flesh
This column contains articles on Scripture readings from the liturgy.
Been There, Done That — by Fr. Pat McNulty. One of my favorite Old Testament narratives is the Old Testament reading for Sunday, August 10—that of Elijah in the cave in the Sinai (1Kgs. 19:11-13). But there was a time when that passage was one... (August 12, 2008)
Them Little Ol’ Ladies — by Fr. Patrick McNulty. What an awful picture! It was made out of some kind of tacky reflective paper and had been placed in the store window in such a way that when you walked by, it picked up the... (June 05, 2008)
Algebra and Easter: A Symphony in D Minus? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Sister Clare Marie was trying to be gentle as she explained my D minus grade in Algebra, the only unacceptable grade I had ever gotten in high school. "My advice, Patrick, is that you avoid higher... (April 04, 2008)
I’m OK? You’re OK? Happy Easter? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. "Did you read it?" My therapist was referring to the latest pop book in the field of psychology, I’m OK—You’re OK, which he thought would be good for me to read. This was in 1969, and... (March 26, 2008)
Did Jesus Laugh? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. When you fast do not put on a gloomy face like the hypocrites do (Mt. 6:16). It was the loudest doorbell I had ever heard. And when I pushed the little black button a second time,... (February 08, 2008)
What’s in a Name? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. For the feast of the Baptism of Christ, January 13th, here are some thoughts on baptism and choosing the name of a child. "Darth? You mean like Darth Vader in Star Wars?" I was talking to... (January 11, 2008)
Faith: A Subjunctive Mood — by Fr. Pat McNulty. It was about 3 a.m. when I pulled my car into the checkpoint at Canadian Customs and Immigration. Though there were trucks in their own lane, mine was the only car around. The middle-aged man in... (December 12, 2007)
The Gift of Purgatory — by Fr. Pat McNulty. I have a great editor. She gives me space for what is on my heart and then pretty much lets me say it my way. But when she says something like, "Your article hasn’t come together,"... (November 12, 2007)
Leapin’ Lizards! — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Have you ever wondered why God hasn’t cured you or someone close to you? Here’s a reflection on Luke 17:11-19, the healing of the ten lepers, the Gospel for Sunday, October 14th. When I was a... (October 15, 2007)
My Crafty Encounter — by Fr. Pat McNulty. We don’t think you’ll hear a homily remotely like this one on Sunday, September 23rd, when the reading will be Luke 16:1-13, the parable of the crafty steward. We were all sitting there with our Styrofoam... (September 21, 2007)
How Could You, God? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. "When I am lifted up I will draw all things to myself" (Jn.12:32). Here’s something to think about any time, but especially on Mercy Sunday. Do you ever get a bit weary of all those nuns... (April 13, 2007)
The Search for Burning Bushes — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Have you ever wished for a mystical experience? The following is a reflection on the story of Moses and the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15), the First Reading for March 11th, the Third Sunday in Lent.... (March 12, 2007)
Good News for Dust and Ashes — by Fr. Pat McNulty. One Ash Wednesday, the ashes on Fr. Pat’s forehead began a change in a young woman’s heart. "No thanks, I only smoke filters," she said as I offered her a cigarette. She was smoking filtered Kools.... (February 21, 2007)
Gazing on Stars and Kings — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Do you remember seeing your first shooting star? I remember seeing mine. And I remember that I couldn’t prove it because it happened so fast it was gone before anyone else could see it. But I... (January 05, 2007)
A Tale of Two Widows — by Fr. Pat McNulty. We bet you’ve never looked at the story of the widow’s mite (Mk 12: 38-44) in quite this way. It’s the gospel for Sunday, November 12th. I always thought the widow might be a witch! She... (November 13, 2006)
Big Bang? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. The following story is in connection with Mark 4:35-41, the calming of the storm, the Gospel for Sunday, June 25th. They call it, "Tornado Alley." It’s part of a large geographic area in Midwestern USA where... (June 22, 2006)
My Day is a Mass — by Fr. Pat McNulty. On Holy Thursday I often think about a rather unusual Eucharistic experience which happened to me about thirty years ago when I was confined to bed for many weeks. I was not able to do anything—most... (April 13, 2006)
Sister Ruth and the Bells — by Fr. Pat McNulty. I love bells—bells of every kind: ding-bells, dong-bells, bing-bells, and especially booooooong-bells. Bells can be a sign of hope and a source of life. They certainly were for me when I was growing up. Three times... (March 24, 2006)
Standing in the Wrong Line — by Fr. Pat McNulty. The following is a reflection on Mark 1:40-45, the story of the curing of the leper, the Gospel for February 12th, the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We have a priest here in Madonna House whose... (February 13, 2006)
Here Comes the Bridegroom — by Fr. Pat McNulty. A reflection in connection with the parable of the ten bridesmaids (Mt 25:1-13), the Sunday Gospel for November 6th. Did you know that Richard Wagner and Felix Mendelssohn often attended the same church? So what? Well,... (November 07, 2005)
A Night in a Jail Cell — by Fr. Pat McNulty. I do not often have flashbacks, those intense unexpected mental or emotional recalls of past events. But while I was reading the Gospel for October 23rd, the 30th Sunday of Ordinary time (Mt. 22:34-40) and came... (October 24, 2005)
Cell Phones and Gentle Breezes — by Fr. Pat McNulty. There I stood in the airport lounge with my little finger to my mouth and my thumb to my ear, acting as if I, like just about everybody else in the waiting room, was talking into... (August 08, 2005)
The Challenge of Eastertime — by Fr. Bob Wild. Thanks be to God Lent is over, and there’s no more need for conversion! The readings of the Easter Season just invite us to a time of peaceful meals with the Lord at table and on... (April 02, 2005)
Bubblegum and Bedposts — by Fr. Pat McNulty. I apologize if I tire you with my childhood liturgical trips down Memory Lane, but please indulge an old man and come with me once again, this time through Lent to the hope of Easter by... (March 24, 2005)
What If…? — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried—and through his wounds we are healed—by his sufferings shall my servant justify many, taking their faults on himself (Is 53:5, 11). When I was a... (February 01, 2005)
Where Reality Betters Fantasy — by Fr. Pat McNulty. Shazam! Anyone from the USA who was at least 10 years of age by 1940 will probably recognize that word. It came from the comic book world of the ’40s, those special kid-cartoon drawings in story-form.... (January 01, 2005)
