Bishop Richard F. Stika’s Blog
Posted in columns on Jan 27th, 2012
Spring training
The penitential practices of Lent prepare us to face the trials and demands of life with joy.
I’m always amazed at how quickly we transition from the joy of the Christmas season to the penitential season of Lent, which begins this year on Feb. 22. But Lent reminds us that there is no real and [...]
Posted in columns on Dec 22nd, 2011
The Mass, like Bethlehem, represents both an arrival and a departure on our pilgrimage of faith.
“Let us go over to Bethlehem to see . . .” (Luke 2:15). Responding to the heavenly announcement, the shepherds set out in a sacred procession to find their Savior, as did the Magi in response to creation’s announcement in [...]
Posted in columns on Nov 29th, 2011
The season of Advent helps prepare us to receive the gift of Christ every day.
Christmas decorations went up in stores almost as fast as the Halloween costumes, lawn decorations, and paraphernalia came down, marking the transition between the No. 2 and the No. 1 shopping seasons of the year. And given the St. Louis Cardinal’s [...]
Posted in columns on Nov 1st, 2011
As the people of God, we need one another’s help to draw closer to Christ.
Pray for me.” No doubt we have made this request of others many times and have likewise been asked by others to pray for them. We need help, and people need our help. But although we understand the importance of not [...]
Posted in columns on Sep 23rd, 2011
We best reverence the liturgy by making an offering of ourselves upon the altar.
Which is more sacred—Mass in the cathedral with a contemporary choir, the extraordinary form of the Mass with Gregorian chant, Mass celebrated on the back of a Humvee in Afghanistan, or the rich liturgy of the Maronite Rite of the Church? I [...]
Posted in columns on Sep 14th, 2011
Our Lady of Guadalupe helps us to recognize our brothers and sisters in need.
The science of photography, even before it went digital, has always intrigued me. But nearly 300 years before the first photograph was taken and developed in 1826, we have record of an image of rich color and great detail that developed upon [...]
Posted in columns on Aug 2nd, 2011
Like water that refreshes us from the heat, thankfulness refreshes the soul in its trials.
Real baseball fans know the importance of the “dog days” of summer, the 40-day period ending in August that typically marks the hottest and most sultry days of the year. It’s during this time that teams either renew their passion for [...]
Posted in columns on Jun 27th, 2011
So many are concerned about the ‘when’ of Christ’s return that they miss his presence in others.
The world didn’t end May 21 as some had predicted. Personally, I was worried it might until Matt Holliday’s eighth-inning two-run homer broke a scoreless tie and led my St. Louis Cardinals to a shutout win against the Kansas [...]
Posted in columns on Jun 6th, 2011
Chattanooga’s Sts. Peter and Paul represents the goal of our life’s pilgrimage.
There’s nothing like a front-row seat. Although I wasn’t in the front row for the beatification of Pope John Paul II on May 1, I sure felt as though I was. From my seat I was able to overlook the vast crowd, estimated at [...]
Posted in columns on Apr 21st, 2011
God gives a home to the forsaken when we open our heart to others.
Of the many memories I have from my recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, one remains particularly vivid: the image of a tiny infant in the loving arms of an elderly religious sister from an orphanage we visited in Bethlehem. I keep [...]
