Beacons of Light Family S-4

Every year on the Second Sunday of Advent the Church calls our attention to John the Baptist, the great forerunner of the Lord. I always find it to be a fruitful opportunity for meditation, as it pulls us away from some of the more commercialized scriptures which we traditionally associate with Christmas. We’ll get to the manger and the birth of the Prince of Peace soon enough, but reflecting on a man going out into the desert to wear a loincloth, eat bugs, and yell at people to repent always comes first. That’s the real Advent spirit for you. Click on title for full column.

One of my close friends from seminary, Fr. Peter Langenkamp, would routinely take umbrage at the pejorative usage of his name,specifically the phrase “to peter out.” I suspect he would also object to what is commonly called “the peter principle,” which is a work hierarchy theory that states that people rise to the level of their own incompetence in organizations. In short, employees are promoted for being good at their job without consideration of whether their skills translate to the next rung up the ladder. If that employee does happen to succeed in a new role, the process starts over again, until eventually they find themselves doing a job to which they’re not particularly suited.   Click on title for full column.