You know those moments at work which you wish you could take back? Where you make a mistake in front of a whole group of your coworkers and your cheeks flush and you shrink a size or two? I had a few of those moments this week. And in God’s fantastic sense of humor, on… [Read More]
Of Mary, Never Enough
“De Maria, nunquam satis!,” St Bernard of Clairvaux once said. Of Mary, never enough! In these last few days before the great feast of Christmas, perhaps you’re feeling harried or haven’t had time to prayerfully prepare, or just aren’t quite into the Christmas. Or perhaps you’re drowning in carols all day, but not feeling very contemplative or… [Read More]
America: On the Forces that Shape Us
It’s always difficult to put into words the transformation that happens within a human heart as it works to grasp the reality of tragic news unfolding. I hopped into my car Friday morning totally ignorant of what happened in Dallas Thursday night. When I switched on NPR like usual, my mind tripped over itself trying to comprehend. It was… [Read More]
From an ancient homily for Holy Saturday: The Lord’s descent into the underworld
Our Catholic faith is incredibly rich. So instead of writing a new reflection, I’m sharing one of my favorite things to read during the Triduum. This is a from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday, date and homilist unknown. It is the Second Reading in the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday Liturgy of the Hours…. [Read More]
A Centenarian’s Lesson: Don’t Wait for Tomorrow
Raise your hand if you are a procrastinator. (If you raise your hand later, I’ll understand.) Of all the things we sometimes put off during the course of our lives, there is one thing far more important than anything else that we should never wait to do: follow Christ. Never was this point made more… [Read More]
The Challenge of Advent
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be watchful! Be alert!…’ ” Advent is a challenging time for Catholics. With the exception of Mass, it’s easy to let Advent be consumed and overshadowed in our daily lives, as society pushes Halloween into Christmas with a small glint of Thanksgiving thrown in. “….You do not know when the… [Read More]
I don’t want to be rescued – I want to be redeemed.
“I don’t want to be rescued. I want to be redeemed.” When I first heard JJ Heller sing these words (listen here) I didn’t quite understand the difference. Why not rescued? Don’t I want God to rescue me? What is the difference between being rescued and being redeemed? I listened to the song again and… [Read More]
Come and You Will See
The tents are packed up; the rented chairs have been stacked and taken away. The land is empty and yet not quiet. Mulch covers large patches where grass will need to be planted. Bricklayers come each morning and work on finishing the main walkway. You can usually see the builder around finishing this or… [Read More]
Receptivity and Love in the Parable of the Sower
Over the last two Sundays and a daily mass in between in between, we have been hearing the parables where Christ describes the Kingdom through the imagery of the sower and the seeds, and we also heard Psalm with the same imagery. Here is the version read two Sundays ago “A sower went out to sow. And as… [Read More]
Agony & Chalice, Freedom & Love
Christ’s words in Gethsemane have been echoing in my heart for months now. And today, this most solemn Holy Thursday, Maundy Thursday, is the day when we are called to be with Christ in His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. We have begun the Triduum; we walk towards the Resurrection. These are the… [Read More]
He humbled Himself
As soon as Thanksgiving ends and the consumer world starts promoting and selling Christmas in earnest, I feel like I immediately start to hear from the Catholic media sphere the repeated mantra warning us against the spirit of materialism: Focus on the reason for the season, don’t get stressed out over Christmas shopping and buying stuff, don’t… [Read More]
In All Circumstances Give Thanks
That’s all for today, friends. Happy Thanksgiving!!!
The Last Seven Words of Christ
The Seven Last Words of Christ refer to the final seven phrases that Our Lord spoke as he hung on the Cross. These phrases were not recorded in a single Gospel but are taken from all four Gospels. Greatly revered, these last words of Jesus have been the subject of many books, sermons, and musical… [Read More]
