Father Ray Dobson’s Blog

— Part 3: “Our Father” The opening words of this prayer contain more than we might first hear. We do not say “My Father.” We say: “Our Father.” That matters. This prayer is never prayed alone—even when we are by ourselves. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us, when we say “our,” we are standing with

Part 1: “When you pray, say…” My hope is to post this multipost work every weekday until completion.…….This is not our prayer—we are drawn into His prayer. Christ does not say: “When you pray, say whatever comes to mind.” He says: “When you pray, say this.” That alone should cause us to pause. Prayer is

Homo Deus? Becoming More Than Human… or Less? In recent years, there has been growing conversation about the future of humanity. Some speak of a coming reality where human beings, through technology, may transcend their limits—extending life, enhancing the mind, even reshaping what it means to be human. This vision is often called “Homo Deus”—humanity

Drawn, Not DraggedOn Prayer, Truth, and Being “In His Name” There are moments in the life of the Church when we discover that we are not all speaking the same language—even when we are using the same words. Yesterday, I found myself in one of those moments. The phrase was simple enough: “In Jesus’ name.”

Watchfulness without Anxiety — Reading Matthew 24When we hear the words of Christ in Gospel of Matthew 24 one can become confused, anxious and or even desirous of a firm playbook and roadmap. Wars. Rumors of wars. Famines. Earthquakes. Betrayal. Persecution. And then that striking phrase: “the abomination of desolation.” This it not fluffy reading.

Two passages from Scripture can sometimes become a bit of a “bugaboo” for us. One is where Jesus says: “If you are offering your gift at the altar, and remember that your brother or sister has something against you… first be reconciled…” (Matthew 5)  The other is: “You tithe mint, dill, and cumin… but neglect justice, mercy, and