Ben Breedlove: a Christmas e-Tsunami

Was going to blog about my trip to Assisi, but wasn't meant to be. Another young life cut short - he died on Christmas Day 2011. How could death rob Ben Breedlove after 18 short years?!

No, but it wasn't robbery! Rather a gift, a Christmas gift, in the form of an e-tsunami is shaking the  world. Isn't death just a beginning for Ben and for us? 

Stephen, a Martyr on the Fast Track

I visited Israel, Jerusalem, and all the sites of Christ's life, death, and resurrection last March for the second time. It even outdid the first! But I had a kind of strange fixation with St. Stephen, just had to see where he was martyred.

The first man ever to give his life for Christ! Even though walking around Jerusalem, Jesus and the apostles kind of steal the spotlight (understandably), I was convinced to find the place.

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas in Rome! God bless you. Count on my prayers, and say one for me. Please share your Christmas greetings, thoughts, and intentions below.

Christmas LIVE - Joe Rolph you won't be forgotten.

Christmas ideas for the blog flooded my mind this morning. It's only hours away. I could write about traditions, carols, my favorite experiences. How best to capture the emotions of the season?!

I logged on to Facebook. The news-feed was going a mile a minute. But then something caught my eye, stopped me in my keystroke. It wasn't someone I knew personally, though there are many connections.

Joe Rolph was a friend on Facebook, went to the same high school, knew some of my family, and was friends with various fellow seminarians.

I wasn't at all prepared for it. Maybe what kind of summed it all up was what one person posted on his wall, "Is this for real?"