Foot Washing

We first posted this four years ago. I consider this act of Jesus at the heart of Christianity and the teachings of Jesus, and I will continue to repost it. In his Gospel, the evangelist John describes a poignant scene as Jesus celebrates his final Passover meal. Jesus… gets up from the table, takes off …

Palm Sunday and the Third Fall

The fourth part of my personal credo may be the most important… I am called to emulate Jesus… I am reminded of the magnitude of that aspect of my belief most strongly on Palm Sunday as I prepare to share with millions of people around the world the final steps of Christ’s final journey. Up …

Prayerful Momentum

Many years ago during a trip to Haiti, I had the pleasure and honor of sharing dinner with Patrice Millet, a CNN Hero of the Year in 2011.  As we chatted over dinner, Patrice told me the final thing he did every day with the children and young people he worked with was to pray. …

Core Message

Every Saturday morning, the Pray As You Go website presents an examen, a Jesuit tradition involving reflection on and moral evaluation of one’s thoughts and conduct.  I find this morning’s examen particularly inviting.  In it, I am asked, “If you had the chance to give just one sermon, what would be your core message in …

Do You Believe in Miracles?

One week after we discussed the value of Abraham’s belief in our previous post, middle son Brad shows up at the house with a special gift.  Gifts are funny things.  You’re never quite sure how the receiver will take them.  With a few notable high-tech exceptions, Brad’s fairly good about giving gifts.  He knows that …

It IS a Wonderful Life

For 48 years, Mrs. tVM and I have watched the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” every Christmas season.  When we first viewed it in 1974, the film was a mere 27 years old.  That would be like watching “Braveheart” today; it doesn’t seem that long ago.  As we watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” last night, …

Looking Forward to 2023

In 2023, we enter our 13th year publishing the Vitruvian Man website, and we remain committed to the two most important stories in all of literature:  the story of the good Samaritan and the story of the adulterous woman.  We are obligated to be our brother’s keeper to ensure that all life matters.  We must …

Light a Candle

As time passes, I become more grateful for the many blessings bestowed upon me through the grace of God.  Many of those blessings come from people, some I know, others may be strangers, but their positive effect on my life is undeniable… like the grace of God. Ten years ago, a young attorney friend who …

A House Built on Prayer

I believe God guided me to the home I reside in, the men who built it, and the small, rural, desert community it is a part of. The house is less than a mile off the extended runway of the local airport, which is home to SkyDive Arizona, arguably the number one skydiving facility in …