Brad Bursa

A Sobering Report from the Ground A shorter version of this essay will appear in an upcoming bulletin for the parishioners of Stella Maris Family of Parishes. I think the topic of parish decline, parish renewal, and parish consolidation is interesting, so I thought I’d share a bit on Substack. Of course, it’s impossible to…

Another one from Dorothy. I suppose it is a grace not to be able to have time to take or derive satisfaction in the work we are doing. In what time I have, my impulse is to self-criticism and examination of conscience, and I am constantly humiliated at my own imperfections and at my halting…

Three Lessons from Dorothy Day As I put the bow on another year of ministry (about 17 years in all), I’ve been considering all the apparent failures along the way. Programs launched that seemingly failed. People who flaked. Times I overpromised and underdelivered. Ideas that seemed sound before going sideways. Ministry is a divine venture,…

A brief introduction to the Stella Maris Institute I thought I would take some time to let my readers in on our latest project at the Family of Parishes. As we respond to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s pastoral planning process, we are taking innovative steps to advance the mission of the Catholic Church in our…

Without a perfect human love, perfect joy remains out of reach. Prefatory Note: In a previous post, I announced that I was beginning a year-long effort to articulate the gospel according to Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI. This is the fourth installment in that series. I was scooping up my children because I thought the graveside service…

Reflections on Brood XIV and my humanity. Around the time one of our kids turn two, I’ll start to have him or her join me for weekly lawn mowing ritual. This summer, Blaise is two. So he’s the one now perched on my lap. I realize in our sterile, sanitized suburban neighborhood, I’m sure the…

A Meditation on John 1:35–39 “It was about four in the afternoon” (Jn 1:39). This is my favorite line in all of Scripture. It is a line that tells the time. You ask: “Why? Why is it your favorite?” I was hoping you would inquire. Let’s look at the full passage: The next day John…

Why I write anyway. As a little boy, I’d wake up and slip downstairs. If I was first, I’d tiptoe across the creaky living room floor in route to the front door. From there, I could peer out the narrow glass pane and catch sight of the daily newspaper. If it was damp outside, the…

Practical Wisdom (Part IV) I struggle to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. My mind drifts and I become robotic, lifeless. Recently, I shared this with a Benedictine monk and asked for advice in response St. Benedict’s call for our minds to be in harmony with our voices as we pray the Divine Office (see…

A Brief Catechesis on CCC, §§355–384 Note: This is a slightly modified catechesis I wrote for the Stella Maris Become Catholic program. What does it mean that human beings are made in God’s “image and likeness?” We are dealing, here, with a question of anthropology. Who are we as human beings? What is a human…