To Repair the Face of the World

We visibly see the repairing process on a material, natural, and physical level. If a car or house has been damaged following an accident, then we see the repair work undertaken with the aim of restoring the material object to its original … [Read more...]

Father John Navone, S.J.

His obituary plus two of his articles.

Fr. John "Jack" Navone, S.J., died on Christmas Day 2016. He was one of our regular contributors, and will be missed by all of us at HPR, and those who faithfully followed his thoughtful essays. May he rest in peace! We are including two … [Read more...]

Whom the Lord Loveth, He Chastiseth

There are epochs in every life marked by adversity: times when tragedy strikes, injustice reigns, or when overwhelming pain defies equanimity. One has to wonder at the heartbreak caused by human cruelty, frailty, or even just by nature run … [Read more...]

On Reconstructing Mankind

Managed evolution…is a two pronged attack on human suffering. The first prong is positive, namely the fabrication of ever more perfect humans. The second is negative, requiring the elimination of all defectives, beginning with the smallest n … [Read more...]

A Garden Unfinished

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world. I offer them for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart: … [Read more...]

The Sufferings of Jesus

When we see loved ones living a lifestyle that we know will only lead to misery and tragedy, not only for themselves, but also for all those whom their life touches, we are filled with sadness, and a certain helplessness. No amount of … [Read more...]

God’s Loving Providence

We do not always see the loving providence that God has for each one of us. He has an infinite care and concern for each soul that he has created. In our own lives, God tries, in numerous ways, to wake us up from our slumber, especially if … [Read more...]

More than Sentinels Wait for the Dawn

A Soldier Ponders the Wounds of War and the Absence of God

I’ve had it, Chaplain. My right leg still hurts like hell from the shrapnel, and God only knows when the drugs will kick in. But physical pain is one thing; thinking about the insurgents I killed in that firefight last deployment bothers me … [Read more...]

To Listen to the Voice of God

We all have a desire to be listened to and taken seriously. There is nothing more frustrating than not being listened to, when someone does not either look at us when we talk to him, or let us finish our sentences. It leaves us feeling … [Read more...]

Sacrifice, Substitution, and Suffering

Sacrifice is troublesome for us fallen humans. It is not only the inconvenience or effort that troubles us so much, because we are sometimes willing to be inconvenienced or troubled for good reason; that is, a reason that serves our own … [Read more...]

Carrying the Cross with Simon of Cyrene

We can be sure that Jesus was grateful to Simon for providing some relief during the Passion, but also for helping him reach his goal of redeeming humanity (see Jn 12:27 and Acts 2:23) by his suffering and death. “He summoned the c … [Read more...]

Homily After the Boston Marathon Bombings

In a moment, the whole thing was changed into a secular Good Friday.  A bloody, savage assault on the life of the innocent, complete with nails going through flesh after the bombs exploded. Once you’ve been a priest for a while, you st … [Read more...]