Posts by Radhika Sharda, MD
Give Away What You’ve Been Given
Generosity is a trait universally admired. Yet how do we tap into the genuine, dynamic spirit of giving? How do we become a gift to others, when human nature bids us to hold on to whatever we have? From Poverty to Wealth Reflecting upon this question, I am reminded of a passage from the novel…
Read MoreDraw Near
The nearness of God: this is one of the most breathtaking claims of Biblical faith. How can God, Creator of heaven and earth, truly come near to us? Is it possible? What do we mean when we speak of the nearness of God? And does this offer us any insight into our relationships with those…
Read MoreThe Still Small Voice
How do we hear the voice of God? This is the question I invite us to ponder today. Recently I came across a reflection question in prayer, prompting me to bring forth to the Lord that specific grace I most desired. The answer came to me almost immediately: Your Voice, Lord. I realized that what…
Read MoreBelonging to Christ
Friends, consider this question today: What does it mean to be a Christian? Would you be Christian today if you had grown up in a different country, or in a family of different religion? For most of my life, I assumed that because I was born to an Indian Hindu family, I could never be…
Read MoreSo Must the Son of Man Be Lifted Up
Have you ever considered the strangeness of the Cross? Out of all the means possible, why did God accept death on a Cross as the means of our redemption? Among the world religions, only Christianity puts forth this startling image of crucifixion. Indeed, there is no definitive sign in other world religions by which we…
Read MoreEntering the Passion
What is it about stories that attract the human heart? Regardless of where we come from, every human person seems to be made for stories. There is something ingrained in us that seeks to make meaning of things, to discern pattern, beauty, and significance in the world around us. The Story Yet as we press…
Read MoreThe Fruits of Prayer
Today’s Gospel reading, in its seeming simplicity, can baffle our modern sensibility. Jesus insists upon the efficacy of prayer, telling us that “everyone who asks receives.” Surely, we say, he doesn’t mean everyone. We all know of prayers in our hearts that seem to have gone unanswered; and we all know of friends or family…
Read MoreEven the Dogs Eat the Crumbs
Years ago, during my conversion of faith, I was sitting at work one Friday when a whimsical thought suddenly took hold of me: I will go to a Catholic church. Spurred on by this mysterious impulse, I drove out to the Catholic church on the other side of town. I had no plan of what…
Read MoreCome Follow Me
What happens in the silent spaces of a conversation? What happens in that moment between a call from the outside, and the listener’s response? Today’s Gospel reading, precisely in its simplicity, invites us into that mystery of when Christ called his first disciples, Peter and Andrew. Calling of the Apostles The Italian painter Duccio captures…
Read MoreThe Two Paths
Today’s readings reveal to us two vastly different paths of life. On one path we find the “seat of the scoffers,” those who watch the scene with cynicism and refuse to participate. On the other, we find those who “delight in the law of the Lord.” How do we distinguish between the two paths? As…
Read More