Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion(Deuteronomy 8:2-3,14-16; Psalm 147:12-15,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; John 6:51-58) Remembering Who We are Receiving in the Eucharist Be careful not to forget the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:11) The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, and Moses wanted to make sure that they would stay faithful to God […]
Many are ready to give a polite nod of some sort to Jesus of Nazareth. Most honor him as a great moral teacher. Many even confess him as Savior. But the Incarnation of the Eternal God? Second person of the Holy Trinity? God can’t be one and three at the same time. Such a notion […]
In Pope Francis’ general audience this past Wednesday he explains beautifully what Fear of God means. This particular Gift of the Holy Spirit can be taken the wrong way by many people. It can be taken as a literal fear, of something that could ultimately hurt us in some way. Our Pope knows this and […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts Exodus 34:4-6,8-9; (Psalm) Daniel 3:52-56; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; John 3:16-18) Worshipping and Adoring God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Moses at once bowed down to the ground in worship. (Exodus 34:6, 8) The Holy Trinity. Three persons in one God. Really, it’s too much for […]
ST. EPHREM is the light and glory of the Syriac Church. A mere youth, he entered on the religious life at Nisibis, his native place. Long years of retirement taught him the science of the Saints, and then God called him to Edessa, there to teach what he had learned so well. He defended the […]
IN 1132 Robert was a monk at Whitby, England, when news arrived that thirteen religious had been violently expelled from the Abbey of St. Mary, in York, for having proposed to restore the strict Benedictine rule. He at once set out to join them, and found them on the banks of the Skeld, near Ripon, […]
Service to God means to submit to Gods will for you at all times. That sounds easy enough you may be thinking, but is it? As a mother of seven children fulfilling Gods will is hard work and it is made more difficult if I am lacking the Gift of Piety. What does piety mean […]
The celebration of the Ascension used to leave me a bit flat. It was clear what Good Friday did for me. And Easter Sunday’s benefits were indisputable. But as for the Ascension, what’s in it for me? Christianity is about a kind of love we call agape or charity. It is love that looks away […]
“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (John 17:20-21) Pope Francis […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47:2-3,6-9; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20) The Faithfulness of Jesus in Leading Us and Guiding Us I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20) This is a bittersweet day. On the one hand, we celebrate Jesus, the Son of God, […]
He wore steel rimmed glasses and had hair to the middle of his back. The fringe on his buck-skinned jacket bounced as he walked. At least that was the way I was accustomed to seeing Mike as he bopped around town. It was just a few years after Woodstock, and we were all taken with […]
THERE lived at Nantes an illustrious young nobleman named Donatian, who, having received the holy Sacrament of Regeneration, led a most edifying life, and strove with much zeal to convert others to faith in Christ. His elder brother, Rogatian, was not able to resist the moving example of his piety and the force of his […]
In the May 21, 2014, Wednesday Audience on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, (this week focusing on The Gift of Knowledge), Pope Francis spoke several times about various gifts God offers us. First, let us examine the idea of gift. Each of us has experienced physically receiving a gift especially on a special occasion […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 8:5-8,14-17; Psalm 66:1-7,16,20; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21) Being Filled with the Holy Spirit They received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:17) As soon as the apostles heard about God’s work in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to find out what was happening. When they arrived […]
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.” –GK Chesterton, Orthodoxy Continuing his Catechesis on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, Pope Francis used this week’s lesson to discuss the gift of fortitude. When we consider the Gifts of the Spirit, […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 6:1-7; Psalm 33:1-2,4-5,18-19; 1 Peter 2:4-9; John 14:1-12) Accepting Jesus’ Invitation To Come to Him Come to him … and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house. (1 Peter 2:4, 5) Beloved, come to me. I am the cornerstone, Jesus. My arms […]
IN the beginning of the fourth century great levies of troops were made throughout Egypt for the service of the Roman emperor. Among the recruits was Pachomius, a young heathen, then in his twenty-first year. On his way down the Nile he passed a village, whose inhabitants gave him food and money. Marvelling at this […]
Celebrate Mother’s Day a Different Way (Originally published in CL 5/7/13 With Mother’s Day approaching, like any modern day mom, I am looking forward to celebrating the day. I must admit, I love breakfast in bed, I love receiving the gifts, the flowers, the homemade cards. I particularly enjoy enjoying relishing in the graces of […]
Missionary priest, born at Tremeloo, Belgium, 3 January 1840; died at Molokai, Hawaii, 15 April 1889. His father, a small farmer, sent him to a college at Braine-le-Comte, to prepare for a commercial profession; but as a result of a mission given by the Redemptorists in 1858, Joseph decided to become a religious. He entered […]
Pope Francis continues his catechesis at the General Audience Wednesday morning in Saint Peter’s Square on gifts of the Holy Spirit. After having examined wisdom and understanding the last two weeks, this week he discusses the often misunderstood gift of counsel. The pope reminds us that “we must make room for the Spirit, so that […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 2:14, 36-41; Psalm 23:1-6; 1 Peter 2:20-25; John 10:1-10) Being Cut to the Heart by the Good News of Jesus Christ They were cut to the heart. (Acts 2:37) What a vivid image! But this is not the only place in Scripture where we see this […]
What a disappointment! They thought they’d found the Messiah. But he’d been trapped like an animal and executed as a criminal. Up until his very last breath, they had hoped he’d descend from the cross in stately power and call down fire upon the hypocrites. But all they heard from him were seven last “words” […]
Pope Francis continues his catechesis this week on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After having examined wisdom as the first of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. This week he draws attention to the second gift, the gift of understanding. He goes on to say that:” Born of our sharing in God’s life […]
Third Sunday of Easter Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Acts 2:1-14,22-33; Psalm 16:1-2,5,7-11; 1 Peter 1:17-21; Luke 24:13-35) Experiencing More Deeply the Transforming Power of the Mass Were not our hearts burning? (Luke 24:32) Great writers have a knack for conveying deep, lasting truths in just a few words. This is the […]
