We hope that these reflections will help you grow in your spiritual life and deepen your relationship with the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ. All comments and feedback are appreciated and most welcome.
Today’s liturgy, like much of life at times, is marked by wild contrasts. One day Jesus rides into Jerusalem in triumph. He is greeted with joyful shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” The......
14 April, 2019No comment0 LikesI remember a time when I was filled with a strong and righteous anger, which I carefully nourished by collecting stories that proved my point. I went off on a weekend retreat, hoping to get some rest. The first evening......
07 April, 2019No comment0 LikesThe Transfiguration has many allusions to the Old Testament. It occurs on a mountaintop, as did Moses’ initial encounter with God at Mount Sinai and the subsequent delivery there of the Ten Commandments establishing the covenant between God and Israel.......
17 March, 2019No comment0 LikesIn today’s first reading we hear the story of Jacob and his family, who went to Egypt during a famine. Later on, his descendants were perceived to be a threat and were enslaved. Later still, they continually recalled and gave......
10 March, 2019No comment0 LikesToday’s gospel calls us to forgive our enemies. As a person passionate about social justice, I hear this Scripture calling me to also consider empathy and dialogue. Can we identify the humanity and the inherent dignity in those who do wrong......
24 February, 2019No comment0 LikesIn today’s gospel, Jesus’ confirmation of his mission in Nazareth’s synagogue causes great joy. Already impressed by stories of his deeds elsewhere, his neighbors expect much of him. Delight becomes rage, however, when he insists that his gifts are not......
03 February, 2019No comment0 LikesWe learn from her mystical writings that St. Teresa of Ávila sat and spoke with Jesus as one would speak with a best friend. One evening, Jesus asked Teresa her name, and she replied using her religious name, saying, “I......
28 January, 2019No comment0 LikesWhy was Jesus baptized? Surely, not for the forgiveness of sins. Rather, by his baptism, Jesus identifies with us; he takes on our shortcomings. Through his baptism we identify with Jesus: the words spoken by God about Jesus—“You are my......
13 January, 2019No comment0 LikesIn today’s gospel, Elizabeth sees and celebrates the presence of the Lord. It sounds so simple, really, but this recognition and rejoicing elude many of us. The Lord is present right here in our midst, and yet we miss him.......
23 December, 2018No comment0 LikesIt is sometimes difficult to understand the appeal of someone like John the Baptist. Who would want to go into the wilderness to hear some religious fanatic tell us to repent so that our sins might be forgiven? In our......
16 December, 2018No comment0 Likes
Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) was the first African American artist to achieve international acclaim. He attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and settled in Paris to continue studying. It was only after he became established as a salon artist......
02 December, 2018No comment0 LikesWe seem fascinated with calamities and disasters on a grand scale. We’ve only to look at recent box office successes at the movies. Attracted to these end-of-the-world plots, we are also deeply terrorized, praying these graphic images on the screen......
18 November, 2018No comment0 Likes
