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Articles by Brendan Gottschall
Father Brendan Gottschall, SJ, receives the gifts during his First Mass as a priest on June 8, 2024, at Holy Trinity Parish, Blessed Sacrament Church, Margate. Father Gottschall was raised in Margate and grew up in the parish. (Photo by Mike Walsh) “God bless Mommy, and Daddy, and Patrick, and Nanny, and Pop, and Grammy and Poppy. Amen.” This is probably the earliest prayer I ever said.
Homily: A Jesuit approach to being pro-life
The following homily was delivered by Brendan Gottschall, S.J., at the 2026 Ignatian Mass for Life at St. Aloysius Church in Washington, D.C. It has been edited for clarity and length. Like any movement toward justice, there are heroes, stalwarts who advanced the pro-life cause little by little, who become inspirations for those who follow in their paths.
4th Sunday of Advent: God of Surprises | One-Minute Homily
God’s plans can surprise us and even seem inconsistent at times. Brendan Gottschall, SJ, reflects on the joy that can come with God’s unexpected plans. Based on the readings for Sunday, December 18, 2022. Our God is inconsistent. And that is a good thing! Hi, I’m Brendan Gottschall, and this is my One-Minute reflection. In the first reading for today, God tells King Ahaz to ask for a sign.
Jesus Christ: King of the Universe | One-Minute Homily
Jesus Christ is King of the Universe, which means…everything! Brendan Gottschall, SJ, reflects on today’s Solemnity and what it means to call Jesus the King of the Universe. Based on the readings for Sunday, November 20, 2022. Jesus is King of the Universe and that means more than space. Hi, I’m Brendan Gottschall, and this is my One-Minute reflection. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.
Our Faith Journey is Not a Solo Endeavor | One-Minute Homily
Our faith life is not something that we do alone. Brendan Gottschall, SJ, reminds us of the importance of relying on God and allowing others to hold us up. Based on the readings for Sunday, October 16, 2022. There is no shooting the moon in the spiritual life. Hi, I’m Brendan Gottschall, and this is my One-Minute reflection. If you are a card player, you know that “shooting the moon” is when you go it alone and achieve the best or worst score all by yourself.
Who Do We Serve? God or Mammon? | One-Minute Homily
God or Mammon? The choice might seem simple, but our actions might show that we don’t always put God and others first. Brendan Gottschall, SJ, reflects on the pitfalls of chasing after money and how we might refocus ourselves on God. Based on the readings for Sunday, September 18, 2022. We cannot serve both God and mammon, but who would serve mammon? Hi, I’m Brendan Gottschall, and this is my One-Minute reflection.
The Narrow Gate: Staying Focused on God | One-Minute Homily
How many will be saved? While some focus on questions about who goes to Heaven or Hell, Jesus reminds us to focus on our relationship with God. Brendan Gottshall, SJ, reflects in this week’s One-Minute Homily. Based on the readings for Sunday, August 21, 2022. Ever wonder how many people are in Hell? Hi, I’m Brendan Gottschall, and this is my One-Minute reflection. One of my theology professors likes to say that how many people you think are in Hell will reveal a lot about how you think about God.
Responding to the Presence of God | One-Minute Homily
How do we respond when people just “pop in” and interrupt our lives? Brendan Gottschall, SJ, reflects on the hospitality of Abraham and how we might respond to every person as we would to God. Based on the readings for Sunday, July 17, 2022. Our God is a pop-in God. Hi, I’m Brendan Gottschall, and this is my One-Minute reflection. Before cell phones became ubiquitous, friends and relatives used to just “pop in” for a visit if they were in the neighborhood.
Becoming more human through almsgiving during Lenten season
U.S. By Brendan Gottschall, SJ | Catholic News Service Wednesday, March 17, 2021 Volunteers at St. Paul of the Cross Parish Food Pantry in Park Ridge transport groceries for those in need on July 24, 2020. Almsgiving in the form of donations to food pantries is one way to practice of the corporal works of mercy. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic) “Love ought to show itself more in deeds rather than words.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola One of the basic things we do to express love is giving.
Becoming more human through almsgiving
“Love ought to show itself more in deeds rather than words.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola One of the basic things we do to express love is giving. Naturally, we give of our time, talents and treasure to our family and friends. In this time of Lent, we are called to expand our horizons of love to those in need through almsgiving. By giving alms, we not only help the less fortunate, but we also grow in our own humanity. Giving and receiving things is part of what it means to be a human being.
Becoming more human through almsgiving
“Love ought to show itself more in deeds rather than words.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola One of the basic things we do to express love is giving. Naturally, we give of our time, talents and treasure to our family and friends. In this time of Lent, we are called to expand our horizons of love to those in need through almsgiving. By giving alms, we not only help the less fortunate, but we also grow in our own humanity. Giving and receiving things is part of what it means to be a human being.
Becoming more human through almsgiving - TheCatholicSpirit.com
“Love ought to show itself more in deeds rather than words.” — St. Ignatius of Loyola One of the basic things we do to express love is giving. Naturally, we give of our time, talents and treasure to our family and friends. In this time of Lent, we are called to expand our horizons of love to those in need through almsgiving. By giving alms, we not only help the less fortunate, but we also grow in our own humanity. Giving and receiving things is part of what it means to be a human being.
Pope Francis and the Inclusive Capitalists: Making Friends with Dishonest Wealth?
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Pope Francis leads his general audience in the papal library of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Dec. 2, 2020. The pope continued his series of talks on prayer and reflected on the theme of blessings. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) The one percent who run major corporations doesn’t seem to be a virtuous lot. So, why would Pope Francis and the Vatican announce an alliance with some of the richest business leaders in the world?
Poverty in Film: Hillbilly Elegy vs. Parasite
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: This article contains some spoilers for Parasite (2019) and Hillbilly Elegy (2020) Netflix’s recent drama Hillbilly Elegy has gotten a lot of flack for its portrayal of poverty in rural America: critics have called it “exploitative”, “condescending”, “terrible”, and claim that it creates “anthropological distance, not human empathy”. A recent article in America (our sponsor organization) asked whether it might constitute “poverty porn”.
An Overview of Fratelli Tutti
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Pope Francis signs his new encyclical, "Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship" after celebrating Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, Oct. 3, 2020. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, released the third encyclical letter of his papacy entitled Fratelli Tutti, on fraternity and social friendship.
Antiracism is Not a Game
If you are like me, sometimes it can seem like the commitment to antiracism is a game in which I first have to prove that I am on the right team, then continually score points in order to “win”: Watching an antiracist retreat video – 20 points Catching up with a friend of a different race – 10 points Saying “Black Lives Matter” – 2 points Carrying How to Be an Antiracist around – 50 points Actually reading How to Be an Antiracist – 500 points Attending a demonstration – 250 points Voting...
Should you go to Mass in a pandemic? 5 rules for discerning a hard question.
Editor's note: This piece was originally published in The Jesuit Post on July 13, 2020 under the headline “5 Rules for Discerning Whether to Go to Mass in a Pandemic” Americais the publisher of The Jesuit Post.
5 Rules for Discerning Whether to Go to Mass in a Pandemic
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Father Michal Sajnog of Our Lady of the Wayside Parish in Chaptico, Md., gives Communion to a woman on Pentecost Sunday May 31, 2020. About two-and-a-half months after public Masses were halted due to safety precautions against the spread of the coronavirus, parishioners came home to Mass there in a country church that many consider home, Our Lady of the Wayside in Chaptico, in the Archdiocese of Washington.
7 Things to Brighten Your Day
It’s still Easter! We may need to look harder to find joy this year, but there are still signs of goodness and humor around us. Here are a few things that have given me a sense of the joy of Easter: 1. “Alexa, let us pray”. I used to be skeptical of using technological aids for prayer, but the British Jesuits’ “Pray as You Go” app has helped me stay more focused in my prayer life, so I am excited to share that it is now available through Amazon Alexa. 2.
The Coronavirus Isn’t Everywhere. God is.
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash When I was a child, I once read a vignette in my mother’s Catholic Digest magazine about a saint who thought about God all the time. That’s right: all the time. I don’t remember who the saint was or anything else of the story of their life, but I can still recall the mixture of amazement, disbelief, and challenge that such an idea stirred within me.
An Overview of “Querida Amazonia”
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Pope Francis walks in a procession at the start of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican on Oct. 7, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) The Synod for Bishops of the Pan-Amazonian region caused quite a stir in the life of the Church, at least for those of us tuned into mainstream Western media. Controversy swirled around two proposals (ordained priesthood for married men and a female diaconate) and a statue (Pachamama).
11 Highlights from Pope Francis’s Querida Amazonia
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Pope Francis accepts a plant during the offertory as he celebrates the concluding Mass of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican Oct. 27, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) Pope Francis released his latest apostolic exhortation today: Querida Amazonia, a follow up to the “Amazon Synod”, or Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian Region, which was held in October 2019.
7 Reminders from the Popes that Catholics Must Oppose Anti-Semitism
The Jesuit Post Menu Search for: Pope Francis enters the main gate of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp. (CNS photo/Alessia Giuliani) In the wake of yet another apparently anti-Semitic attack, we need to be reminded of our responsibility to stand up against hatred in all its forms. Just as we are all called by our shepherds to be actively anti-racist, so too must we be actively working against the yet-undefeated evil of violence against our Jewish brothers and sisters. This is not a new call.
What is Truth? Facebook and Twitter Can’t Decide
“What is truth?” This is the question Pontius Pilate poses to Jesus during His trial, after the Lord says that His mission was to testify to the truth. Some version of this question is currently stumping social media giants Facebook and Twitter as they look toward an ever-divisive political climate and consider how to deal with political ads. Should a social media platform allow advertisements to include false information (or “alternative facts” if you will)?
Grieving Together through Song
I had just sat down by the Christmas tree at my grandmother’s house, when I saw the first Tweet about the Bronx fire of a couple weeks ago: a multi-story apartment building in the Belmont section of the Bronx near the zoo up in flames. I gulped. I dreaded that it might be my home or the home of one of the students I teach at the local parish grade school. I breathed a sigh of relief to learn that my house and my students were safe and offered up a prayer for those affected.
Why Elections are Unserious
When I taught world history to freshmen in high school, I once asked my students to reflect upon the longevity of the Roman Republic (it lasted over 500 years, ending in the first century BC, over twice as long as our Republic). In an effort to underscore how significant the end of the Republic must have been for citizens of first century Rome, I asked what I thought to be a loaded question: Who can imagine the United States ceasing to exist as a republic?
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