Tuesday was a big day in United States politics. In case you haven't heard we here in the US are in the process of figuring out who our next president will be. Final elections won't be held until November, but state primaries proceed through early summer, determining how many delegate votes each candidate will bring to their party's convention. Senator John McCain earned the Republican party nomination last night, winning enough votes for Mike...more
Brett Favre, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, announced his retirement this week. At a news conference yesterday his simple explanation for the move was that he was tired. At thirty-eight and possessing graying hair, Favre and his family have been through multiple tragedies and upheavals in the last few years, but he kept on playing, even the day after his father died. Having given more to the game than most and played the game with more...more
It has been a decade since Kolkata's "Saint of Gutters", Mother Teresa went home to God. But Missionaries of Charity, the order established by Mother in 1950, still continues to feel her divine presence around. The moment one enters the premises of Mother's House on AJC Bose Road in central Kolkata, one is overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth, peace and serenity like one has never experienced before. Two days before her tenth death anniversary, the spirit of Mother Teresa rests in peace in a white marble tomb, built in the middle of Mother's House, and is surrounded by devotees, who sit with their heads bowed, paying a silent tribute to the lady who gave up everything to serve the "poorest of the poor". "Service to the poorest of the poor" still continues to be the fundamental article of faith in Missionaries of Charity."Jesus is the bread of life" is written in flowers over Mother's tomb, and a soft fragrance of incense wafts through the air to create an aura of unmatched divinity. The room adjacent to Mother's tomb holds her possessions and pictures, and tells a tale of Mother's service to humankind. The pictures of Mother Teresa, along with her belongings displayed with care, make...more
Many people reading this will not be happy. I suppose this article will be seen as somewhat analogous to a person everybody thought of as really, really straight coming out of the closet and proudly proclaiming him or herself as gay. No, it's probably worse; as most Americans would sooner elect a gay person as President, than elect a secular...more
Many might ask, even accuse, how can I, a rabbi, who once was Orthodox, who served an Orthodox congregation, and at the helm of Orthodox educational institutions, be willing, nay eager, to help interfaith couples and (co)officiate at their weddings? Let me open with a family story. I remember a discussion my grandmother had with my great uncle in...more
"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates, Psalm 11:3-5."Most of us begin dreaming, at a pretty early age, of the kind of life that we'd like to build. We consider the relationships we'd like to have, the house we'd like to own and the car we'd like to drive. We may dream of positions, possessions and accomplishments. As we grow older, we adopt actual patterns of building. Some people take the pieces that they're handed, and try, the best they can, to fit them all together. Others are more proactive and selective. They patiently search for just the right building materials, planning carefully, down to the finest detail. It's doubtful, however that most people give much thought to the foundation that everything will be built upon.Foundations in a physical building are mostly underground. What can be seen is often unsightly. Unless there are obvious shifts and cracks, the average home owner may pay little attention, other than to paint or conceal them from view....more
Why do Christians say, "God is good"? Because He is. Why do people believe God is a bad God? Due to famines, wars, shootings and violence that take place every day in this world, many assume that God must be bad. They think He is allowing these...more
When we accepted Jesus as our personal Savior, did we not do this to save ourselves from damnation? Some of us chose Jesus because our life was a mess from trying to live it our way. But, for whatever your reason was for accepting Jesus, we all hope...more
Your spiritual growth reveals the secret that religion rarely talks about. "You are an eternal being." Most spirituality information leads you to this conclusion because your spiritual quest is concerned with the interconnectedness of all things and...more
The Pope, Billy Graham and Oral Roberts all died on the same day and arrived at the Pearly Gates at the same time. St. Peter said to them, "I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is that we are full right now and I am going to have to...more
Your ability to live by faith has nothing to do with:Who you are, where you were born, or where you live.The amount of money you presently have in your bank account, billfold or purse or don't presently have in your bank account, billfold or...more
Does baptism matter? Most Americans have come to the conclusion that it does not, a person can be saved and go to heaven baptized or not. It is such a settled conviction with most that they are not willing to give the study of the topic the time of...more