When I was a young child, I enjoyed playing with building blocks. Frequently, my siblings would come and topple my construction, but I would simply start building again. Soon, those blocks were replaced with Legos to construct much stronger and more intricate things. As much as I enjoyed playing with Legos, I did not follow the path to becoming an architect. Instead, I heard the voice of Jesus t . . .

In the month ahead we will celebrate Advent and Christmas. As we chant “O Come, O Come Emanuel,” Advent days will teach us prayer and patience as we long for the coming of our Savior. When we finally sing out “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” Christmas days will call us to . . .

As a young seminarian serving at St. Agnes of Bohemia parish in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, I came to appreciate many customs and traditions that I had never heard of as the son of an Irish immigrant. One of these customs was la mordida or “the bite.” This custom is . . . .