Only a few days remain until the new year begins. If you are pondering a spiritual journey, you may want to consider starting to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as explained here: Through the Year of Faith with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. May I also suggest a read-through of the New […]
But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God. (John 1:12,13) All good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down […]
Fourth Sunday of Advent Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Zephaniah 3:14-18; (Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18) Mary and Elizabeth, Our Model for Responding to the Holy Spirit “Blessed are you who believed!” (Luke 1:45) When something exciting happens, you can’t contain yourself; you simply have to share the news with […]
Please read the first part of this article here: How Not to Throw Stones in an Argument, Part One Christ does not end the conflict simply by “cooling down” in these various ways. He also chooses to show mercy to the woman caught in adultery. It is significant that Christ doesn’t simply forgive any such […]
For Christians, Advent is a penitential season. As a penitential season, it is a specially designated time to reflect on our sins and try to break free from those sins as we await the coming of the light of the world, Jesus Christ. I would, therefore, like to meditate on perhaps one of the most […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Zephaniah 3:14-18; (Psalm) Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18) Advent, A Time of Thanksgiving and Rejoicing “The peace of God … will guard your hearts.” (Philippians 4:7) There was once a little town that was being harassed and pillaged by marauders. Good families were not able to […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Baruch 5:1-9; Psalm 126:1-6 ; Philippians 1:4-6,8-11; Luke 3:1-6) Advent, A Time to Allow God’s Word to Transform You “A voice of one crying out in the desert.” (Luke 3:4) Tiberius. Pilate. Herod. Philip. Lysanias. Annas. Caiaphas. These men ruled the secular and religious worlds at the […]
This week Tripp Curtis, the recently bereaved husband of “Mommy Life” blogger and author Barbara Curtis, posted a short article about his wife that read in part: Barbara told how “seeing my children experience a happy childhood was the next best thing to having one myself.” She wished to “receive that kind of love.… Is […]
Judging from the front cover of A Winter Dream, which features a lit-up Christmas tree, one might expect that this latest offering from best-selling author Richard Paul Evans is a Christmas story. It is not; it is a story for every season. While it does open with a dream that includes a Christmas-type tree, this […]
He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Jeremiah 33:14-16; Psalm 25:4-5,8-10,141; 1 Thessalonians 3:12–4:2; Luke 21:25-28,34-36) Advent, A Time to Prepare for His Coming “They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud.” (Luke 21:27) Don’t you find it strange that today’s Gospel reading would focus on the end times and not […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Daniel 7:13-14; Psalm 93:1-2,5; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18:33-37) Jesus Christ, King Over All Creation and Our King “Are you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:33) In honor of this great feast, let’s take some time to dwell on what it means that Jesus is King of […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16:5,8-11; Hebrews 10:11-14,18; Mark 13:24-32) Preparing for Jesus Second Coming: Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last “Of that day or hour, no one knows.” (Mark 13:32) Let’s take a short quiz. The first question is a general one: what goals do […]
“You know what I’m most scared of, Mom?” Last week, Christopher snuggled up to me as we savored our all-too-short time together. “The riots. The kids at school said there’s going to be rioting if Obama doesn’t win.” I considered this a moment. My first instinct was to reassure him, to tell him it was […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 146:7-10; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44) The Extravagant Love of God “This poor widow put in more than all the other contributors.” (Mark 12:43) Today’s readings give us two illustrations of extravagant love. First, we have the widow who cared for Elijah, and in […]
This week I’ve been reading about the “back stories” of the saints. It can be easy, sometimes, to think of holy people in two-dimensional, sanitized terms. Earthbound angels who floated through life, never contradicting, never offending . . . warm and appealing and endlessly agreeable. Yet “niceness” is not a theological virtue, and those who […]
I’m entering a new phase of my life . . . the “hot” zone. One minute, minding my own business, typing or reading or just hanging with family — the next, the heater kicks in and my face has little rivulets of sweat. One minute I’m sound asleep, cuddled in my fuzzy armed sleeper, the […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126:1-6; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52) Letting God’s Love Flow Through You to Others “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replied, “The first is this… . The second is this.” (Mark 12:28-31) Love God and love your neighbor. The wisdom of these […]
I would like to discuss briefly something that is so necessary to our spiritual, emotional, and psychological health, but which has been virtually obliterated in the current culture in which we live. I call it Healing through a New Language. We need to reclaim this essential part of our lives, because God made us to […]
Reflections for Sunday, October 28, 2012 Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126:1-6; Hebrews 5:1-6; Mark 10:46-52) Saying Yes to Jesus’ Call “Get up, he is calling you.” (Mark 10:49) Today’s readings all involve a call from God. In the first reading, the Lord makes a joyful announcement, calling […]
For the past few months, the image followed me. At work, I shuddered as I came across it in one of our study workbooks. This week again at a TOB seminar, there it was in its full, blazing glory: Caravaggio’s depiction of “Doubting Thomas” sticking his probing finger into the glorified wound of the Risen […]
Reflections for Sunday, October 21, 2012 Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22; Hebrews 4:14-16; Mark 10:35-45) Walking Through God’s Open Door of Faith “We have a great high priest.” (Hebrews 4:14) During this Year of Faith, Pope Benedict XVI is inviting all of us to pass through the “door […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Wisdom 7:7-11; Psalm 90:12-17; Hebrews 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30) Seeing Ourselves as Jesus Sees Us “The word of God is … sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12) What a vivid image! God’s word is razor sharp, able to cut through our innermost thoughts. It can expose the […]
With his Apostolic Letter of October 11, 2011, Porta Fidei, Pope Benedict XVI declared that a Year of Faith would begin on October 11, 2012, and conclude on November 24, 2013. The first day of the Year of Faith marks the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the twentieth anniversary of the publication […]
