The coming of the year 2021 was an event that many people looked forward to with great anticipation. Anything would be better than 2020; between the pandemic, shutdowns, riots, and unemployment, just about anything would be a step up from the past year of complete uncertainty and chaos.
Sharing the Jolly News from Bethlehem
While Christmas is often associated with a jolly old man bearing gifts for all, there is another less-jolly old man even more closely tied with the birthplace of our Savior. And who also happened to offer a gift to the world. Yes, even saints get grumpy sometimes, and St. Jerome was known for his grumpiness. … Read More
Finding Jesus in the Wild West
In late 2019, I had booked and planned a trip to Poland and Germany for May of 2020 with a fellow coworker here at Tekton Ministries. We were going to explore the homeland of St. John Paul II and then end our pilgrimage with a quick stop in Germany, where we were going to attend … Read More
Resting in Mary’s Mantle
What do St. Edith Stein, St. Therese of Lisieux, and St. John of the Cross all have in common? Apart from residing in Eternal Paradise together, these three saints lived their lives in the Carmelite order, leaving the world behind to live in a community devoted to prayer, contemplation, and being in union with the … Read More
The Renaissance Man Cave Revisited
It can be hard to reflect on an experience that you’ve never had before. Shortly after I began my employment at Tekton, I was tasked with writing a reflection on the Upper Room. Having never set foot in the same country as the Upper Room, I scoured the Internet for all the info it had … Read More
The Best of All Holy Weeks
“Holy Week and Easter will never be the same.” This is the comment we get most abundantly from our pilgrims upon their return from the Holy Land. It comes in through our surveys so often that you would think they all copied one another’s responses – cutting and pasting the same thing over and over … Read More
The Ladder That Hasn’t Moved in Hundreds of Years
For 250 years, a ladder has stood almost unmoved, a symbol of division and the aspiration for healing.
Simon “The Rock” Peter – The Stones that Symbolize the First Papacy
Found in Tabgha along the shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, not far from where the multiplication of the loaves and fishes took place, is a quaint Roman Catholic Church made of gray stone. It’s quite simple, with a single column that is topped off by a bell and crucifix, and a few windows peppering the outside walls. Its red roof stands out amongst the greenery that surrounds it. This is the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter, a site that commemorates the event that started a papal lineage that spans 265 successors.