This is a poem that I wrote one day when I felt as though I was in darkness. It has helped me to pray with it when my prayer feels dry. Darkness Darkness! The light of the flame that brought me here now begins to dull and I feel lost My prayer was once as… [Read More]
Year of Mercy: Reflection on the Prodigal Son
If we attend Mass regularly we have more than likely heard the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32). It is a parable that speaks to all of us at the very depth of our hearts because the parable of the Prodigal Son is a story of mercy and a story of unconditional love. In… [Read More]
Oh Speciosam Altaris Sacramento: How Powerful and Loving
In my time of being in the seminary my love and awe of the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist has increased tremendously and I am convinced with full conviction that when I receive the Eucharist at Mass, I am receiving the fullness of Christ within me and I am being received into full communion with… [Read More]
Eucharist and Life Experience
“Only when we recognize the rich network of connections between the Eucharist and our life in the world can the Eucharist be “worldly” and our life “Eucharistic” – Henry J.M. Nouwen, With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life. This quote from Nouwen’s book is so very true. All things in our lives are connected…. [Read More]
Reflection: Evangelii Gaudium: Temptations Faced by Pastoral Workers
In his apostolic exhortation, Pope Francis touches on many important topics regarding evangelization. He speaks of all that we, pastoral workers, should focus on when working to proclaim the Gospel in the modern world. The Pope calls all of us to work to spread the gospel with a great joy based in Christ. In one… [Read More]
Lent: A Time for Conversion
WHAT DOES LENT MEAN? Today we begin a very special season in our liturgical year, Lent. Our English word “Lent” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten” which is roughly translated to mean Spring. So, like the season of spring, we are called to be rejuvinated, to be given life once again and to spread… [Read More]
A Seminarian’s Reflection on Faith
The Lord Our God, Our Father, sees all things. No matter how much we try to hide from him, and no matter how much we might think we are doing things in secret, he sees all things. Night is not dark enough to hide us away from his loving view. He does not look upon… [Read More]
Is Sacred Art Wrong?
Sacred Art Art, for centuries, has been a method of communicating different information on the history and truths of people. The prehistoric human used art to communicate or record their great historical stories and achievements. One example of this is the images found in the Lascaux Cave in Southwestern France. Many centuries later the Egyptians… [Read More]
Methods of Meditation
When we think of prayer, most of us think of praying as saying prayers, talking to God. When we think of prayer we think of the prayers we were made to memorize as a youth. We think of prayer as the prayers we say before bed, before meals or in church. These prayers are important… [Read More]
Short Meditation on Saints
The other evening I watched the biographical movie of Saint Hildegard of Bingen. As I sat there and watched this very beautifully made movie about the inspiring life of this very wise and holy Saint, I began to think how by today’s standards all the Saints that had heavenly visions, the mystics, would be considered… [Read More]
Reflection on the Love of God
He sees all The Lord Our God, Our Father, sees all things. No matter how much we try to hide from him, and no matter how much we might think we are doing things in secret, he sees all things. Night is not dark enough to hide us away from his loving view. He does… [Read More]
Homilia del Papa Franciso a Seminaristas, Novicios y jovenes discerniendo sus vocaciones
“Usted sabe muy bien que el Señor no mira tanto la grandeza de nuestras acciones, ni siquiera a su dificultad, pero en el amor con que lo hacemos.” -Santa Teresa de Lisieux, doctora de la Iglesia El domingo 7 de julio, el Papa Francisco celebro el Santo Sacrificio de la Misa con muchos seminaristas, novicios… [Read More]
Erroneous Eros…
In the last column “Quid Amor? (What is Love?)”, I wrote about the different loves as explained by C.S. Lewis and by the Holy Scriptures. Love is so much more complicated than being a simple emotion without reason. According to Lewis there are four loves; Storge, Philia, Eros and Agape. Each love plays an important… [Read More]
Pope Francis Homily to Seminarians, Novices and Young People Discerning their Vocations
“You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.” -St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church On Sunday July 7th, Pope Francis celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with many… [Read More]
Quid Amor?
Love, an emotion? a feeling? What is love? Today many people, when they think of love think of it as an emotion or a feeling. For them, love is possible of fading or dying. Love, for many, is just a state of mind that one can fall into or fall out of. But is this… [Read More]