By Deacon John Degano
When I was in elementary school the public libraries used to have a summer reading program where everyone who signed up was given stickers for every five or so books they read over the summer. It was a great way to encourage reading and provided my parents a cheap form of entertainment for me until the time of our family vacation.
By Deacon John Degano
Lent is over. The season of Easter has begun. That’s what it says on our liturgical (church) calendar, but are we living Easter joy?
Too many of us seem to get stuck in a perpetual Lent, where we dwell on our sins and don’t believe that Jesus can actually forgive us of our trespasses or sins.
By Deacon John Degano
Recently, I had reason to wonder if the Magi felt they were chasing shadows as they made their circuitous journey in search of the new born king of the Jews?
Our 1,300 mile journey began with Christmas with my wife Cheryl’s family in Greensboro, North Carolina. We then drove to Cincinnati, Ohio (to visit an aunt who had broken a leg) and then east to Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C. for our flight home.
By Deacon John Degano
It’s officially cold and flu season in our home.
We managed to survive two third year confirmation retreat weekends with nary a sniffle but now, two or three weeks later, I’m battling a stuffy head, sinus drip and a raspy (but not sexy) voice.
The good news is, I’m not ‘death warmed over’… not yet, at least.
By Deacon John Degano
It’s not Christmas until Jesus lies in the Manger
Several years ago Cheryl and I had the opportunity to be on the campus of the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana during Advent. We had come to a social justice conference and were being shown about by our friend and diaconate formation director, Father Bob Nogosek, CSC, when we realized that there were Nativity scenes in every building and in some cases, multiple scenes.
