Posts by John and Kathy Schultz
Reflections On Pride
Taking time to reflect, we can see the damage pride has done in our lives. I imagine excessive pride reared its head when, as young children, we yelled, “Me first!” Phrases like, “I’m right, you’re wrong; Let me do it; What do you know?” easily echo in our memories. Popular culture celebrated that mindset with…
Read MoreWords Can Touch the Heart
I love all things literary. I love hearing great dialogue in a movie. I am impressed when a subject expert takes a complex subject and makes it understandable. Great speeches can move me to tears. And nothing to me is more wonderful than reading a great book. Today’s readings speak to me of the power…
Read MoreWill We Be Able To See Our Redemption?
Jesus’s Hometown Address In the US, there is a tradition among politicians. When running for office, they often return to their “hometown” and make their announcement to run amid great publicity. In Luke’s Gospel today we see Jesus returning to His hometown of Nazareth to make an important announcement about his plan for the future.…
Read MorePeople of Faith
Faith in the Old Testament One of my favorite Biblical verses is found in Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the realization of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” The remainder of the chapter goes on to offer examples of people of faith from the Old Testament such as Abel, Abraham, Jacob and others.…
Read MoreFidelity to God
In the eighth chapter of Matthew, Jesus performs a series of miracles that definitively attest to his ultimate Lordship. Jesus shows his power over illness by curing a leper, the centurion’s slave and a multitude at Peter’s house. Then, when the boat Jesus and the apostles are traveling in is threatened by a windstorm, Jesus…
Read MoreRejoice, Always!
Blessed Solemnity of the Holy Trinity! I recall more than one priest sharing his feelings that preparing a homily on the Trinity is daunting. How to share in fifteen minutes or less the foundation of our beliefs? Our reflection faces the same task; but we will try our best to share some thoughts and end…
Read MoreAt Home with Jesus
It is a rite of passage familiar to many parents—preparing a room for the new baby. When we were expecting our first child, I remember the excitement and joy we felt picking out colors and furniture for the baby’s room. Later, when we had more babies than bedrooms, we might not have been picking out…
Read MoreGod is My Strength
This is a week of tremendous graces as we head into the sacred Triduum. In the readings at the start of Holy Week, we see the unfolding of the glory and promise of Jesus’s mission. In today’s first reading, Isaiah touches on the seeking and waiting for the Messiah that has been the preoccupation of…
Read MoreNever Before has Anyone Spoken Like this Man
Greetings, Gratia Vobis readers. This month we are filling in for Tom Nash with today’s reflection. After reading today’s Gospel from John, I reflected on how we listen and how we respond to what we hear. The high priests and the Pharisees are incredulous over the failure of the guards to bring them Jesus. “Why…
Read MoreHow Much Faith?
Today’s readings are rich with images of faith and trust in God. As parents and grandparents, we are left breathless with God’s direction to Abraham for the sacrifice of his son, “By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac…” But Abraham’s rich deposit of faith led him up to that mountaintop to…
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