Cambridge MA This is the second of my Advent reflections occasioned by the Sunday readings reflection on the state of my soul and our souls and other things as well See the first here I just finished ndash on CD while driving home from my parish - Jennifer duBois rsquo fine first novel

From the America archives a look at the religious works of Dave Brubeck the jazz legend who died earlier this week Dave Brubeck is recognized as a gifted jazz pianist and composer His use of innovative techniques like the unique time signatures showcased in the breakthrough album Time Out

In July Fr William Rowe 73 pastor of the St Mary Parish in southeast Illinois received an email from his bishop Edward Braxton telling him he had been removed as pastor and taking away his faculties to say Mass and offer the sacraments Most likely Rowe had seen it coming Braxton had complain

Pope Benedict XVI joined Twitter today choosing the handle Pontifex and amassing hundreds of thousands of followers in just a nbsp few hours all without composing a single tweet the inaugural tweet will be published next Wednesday The New York Times reports Benedict rsquo s posts will go ou

Cambridge MA I am sure that every reader has by now seen the picture accompanying this blog of the New York policeman kneeling down to give a homeless man poor and cold and barefoot on a winter rsquo s night a warm pair of shoes that he had bought with his own money The story was told with sim

The instructor a Presbyterian called my choice to preach about Mary ldquo bold rdquo We were asked to choose a piece of scripture and then deliver a ten-minute sermon Because it was the start of Advent I chose the annunciation from Luke rsquo s gospel To me Mary rsquo s calm and passive ac