Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-15-John-812-ergrbc “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 Reflection: All of us experience darkness. If you are there right now, you… Read More ›

Another Pope dominated by the Crescenti and eventually forced to retire.

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-14-Isaiah-116-erbvqm “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil.” (Is 1:16) Reflection I cannot function well when I do not take a shower. I am less patient, loving, and caring if I… Read More ›

 Homily for Second Sunday of Lent   cycle B      Feb 28, 2021   Our First reading today, about Abraham being told to sacrifice his son, Isaac, is more than I can handle today, so I am going to focus on the G…

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-13-Luke-636-er90vg “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36-RSV) Reflection Many of us have been fasting unaware before Lent. We have been on the fasting from mercy. The waitress forgot our order; we immediately complain about… Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lent-Reflection-Day-12-Mark-92-3-er7gjc “And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.” Mark 9:2-3 Reflection Lent offers transfiguration. However, like other graces available to us through the love… Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-11-Matthew-546-er621u “For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:46) Reflection Lent challenges us to disengage the auto-pilot of our spirituality. It is an… Read More ›

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-10-Psalm-1301-er43t1 “Out of the depths I call to you, Lord; Lord, hear my cry!” (Psalm 130:1) Reflection: There is so much despair in our world, and its consequences are infecting us… Read More ›

The Bible is scripture…duh? Well, although we may hear this phrase on a regular basis, what does it really mean? How does this change the way in which we read and encounter the Word of God?

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-9-Psalm-5112-er21tf “A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.” (Psalm 51:12) Reflection: Before entering the desert, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. Therefore, during his Lent, Jesus was not alone; the love of… Read More ›

The Crescenti back in power and the popes subservient.

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-8-Psalm-5119-er0sst “My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a contrite, humbled heart, O God, you will not scorn.” Psalm 51:19 Reflection: If nothing else, Lent is the realization that God is always there to forgive us. Most… Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-7-Matthew-44-eqt7pt “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Mt 4:4) Lectio Divina is a spiritual way of almsgiving to nourish our body with the word of God,… Read More ›

Three weeks from this Wednesday, we celebrate the memorial of one of the great Irish Saints – Saint Patrick. Known for converting the island to Catholicism, Saint Patrick is one of my […]

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Romans-1212-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-30-eqr7ik “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.” (Romans 12:12) Reflection: On this the last reflection of our 30 Days of Prayer for Unity, let us remember that what we seek is never-ending. There will always… Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-6-Mark-114-eqp0qr “After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God.” (Mark 1:14) Reflection Lent is a time of transformation. Upon Jesus’ return from the desert, the Prophet John the Baptist gave way to… Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-5-Nehemiah-89-10-eqndmf “Today is holy to the Lord your God. Do not lament, do not weep! Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our… Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Luke-527-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-29-eqmce4 “Follow me.” (Luke 5:27) Reflection: What a beautiful command: “Follow me.” We are all invited to follow Jesus in unity, because we all form part of his body, the Church. Christians and non-Christians, Democrats, Independents, or Republicans…. Read More ›

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Day-4-Ezekiel-3311-eqm80p “I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) Reflection: Lent is a time of conversion. A time to clean our hearts… Read More ›

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-Day-3-Isaiah-588-eqko2o “Is this what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?” (Isaiah 58:8) Reflection Fasting is a sacrifice in humility intended to glorify the Lord. Therefore, let us… Read More ›

You may have heard our first podcast on the COVID vaccine, that was recorded before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released a letter…so now, we update! Tune in to hear the latest!

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Galatians-328-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-28-eqj2id “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28-RSVCE) Paul has defined for us what unity is like… Read More ›

 Homily   Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time              Our first reading today is from the Book of Leviticus, which consists of a lot or regulations and laws.  Our passage deals with people who have …

Listen here: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/Lenten-Reflection-1-Joel-212-eqhjf0 “Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning” (Joel 2:12). Reflection: Lent is a four-legged stool of spirituality: • The season for repairing our relationship with our Creator through prayer • An… Read More ›

The smartest man in Europe, a brilliant mathematician and monk, and the first French Pope.

Lent 2021 begins tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. Shortly after Ash Wednesday last year, many Catholic churches were closed for a long time due to C*vid. Some are still closed. For many of us, Ash Wednesday and Lent a year ago mark the beginning of a time in s…

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-1-John-311–18-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-26-eqgbcd “For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another. Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.”… Read More ›

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Proverbs-309-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-eqeepq “The human heart plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” (Proverbs 30:9) Reflection: We will derail our efforts for unity if we rely on our will alone, for… Read More ›

The pandemic led to my being able to read even more than usual during 2020 and with Lent quickly approaching I have a lovely list of books to add to those I’ve recommended here in the past. Behold your Lent worthy reading list for 2021: Non-Fiction Imp…

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Amos-34-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-24-eqd2tq “Do two journey together unless they have agreed?” (Amos 3:2) Reflection: St. Valentine’s Day is a symbol of unity. A moment to acknowledge our love for one another. Love is… Read More ›

What is men’s spirituality? Is the way men practice the Faith look different from how women practice the Faith? In this episode, Fr. Conrad talks with Robert Tunmire, President and Director of Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance.

Resour…

The first German pope.

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Leviticus-1918-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-23-eqbtsk “Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your own people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” (Lv 19:18) Reflection: We all suffer wrongdoing –… Read More ›

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Luke-110-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-22-eqac2f “And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.” (Luke 1:10) Reflection: There are glimpses of unity all around us. One instance is people… Read More ›

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Lv-266-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-21-eq8tat “I will establish peace in the land, and you will lie down to rest with no one to cause you anxiety” (Lv 26:6) Reflection When we look at our nation’s… Read More ›

https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Mark-720-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-20-eq7797 “And he said: “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man” (Mark 7:20-RSV) Reflection Social media’s insidious nature is the impression of safety—the entitlement to say anything without regard to unity. Many decent hearts become stubborn… Read More ›

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Mark-76-30-Days-of-Prayer-for-Unity-19-eq5kd2 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mark 7:6 – NABRE) Reflection Our humanity is a contradiction. We say that we love our… Read More ›

 We have a lot coming up in the next week. Let me be among the first to wish you a very Happy Lunar New Year! Sometimes called “Chinese New Year,” it’s another way of looking at time from our typical Gregorian calendar. Perhaps being a particularl…

 Homily    Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time   A    February 7, 2021  Did you like our first reading?     It is really a downer.  “Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?  Are n…

Listen to the most recent episode of my podcast: https://anchor.fm/simplediakonia/episodes/One-Minute-Reflection-Psalm-2911-30-Days-of-Prayers-for-Unity-18-eq40lb “May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” (Psalm 29:11- RSVCE) Reflection Time boundaries do not limit the effectiveness of God’s blessings…. Read More ›