Daily Reflections

Blessings and Woes

By Fr. John Bosco Obiako / September 11, 2024 /

The evangelist Luke revisits the beautiful passage of the Beatitudes found in Matthew (5:2-12), simplifying it and adding four “woes” to the four blessings. Luke contrasts two lifestyles, turning our perspectives upside down. According to worldly logic, those who lead a comfortable life are considered blessed and fortunate, while Luke…

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Chosen

By Radhika Sharda, MD / September 10, 2024 /

What does it mean to be chosen, rather than to choose? The remarkable thing about the Christian life is that our faith begins not with our own yes to Christ, but His invitation to us. He takes the initiative, summoning us each to the life of faith and the work…

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Becoming Perfect

By G K Zachary / September 9, 2024 /

Matthew 5:48 says, “Be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” For most of my life, I have had a very distorted view of this injunction to perfection. Sure, in a vague, amorphous sense, I understand the need to strive for these ideals. But therein lies the rub. How…

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The Miracle of Justice

By Sr. Olisaemeka Rosemary Okwara / September 8, 2024 /

Often, the question of the rule of law and the rule of love seem to clash or contradict one another. In 2015, many parts of the world, especially Europe, experienced an influx of migrants due to the conflict in Syria. Europe was challenged between self-protection, the rule of love, and…

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On the Observance of the Sabbath

By Connor Szurgot / September 7, 2024 /

In today’s Gospel, Jesus refers to Himself as the “Lord of the Sabbath” and uses this authority to rebuke the Pharisees for their misplaced zeal in the observance of the Jewish Sabbath. Yet, His dominion over the Sabbath should also call us to reflect on our observance of the Sabbath…

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Stewards of God’s Mysteries

By Fr. Venatius Oforka / September 6, 2024 /

The first statement of St. Paul in today’s first reading reminds me immediately of the autobiography of Blessed Fulton Sheen, Treasure in Clay. This wonderful book and many other books of his, especially, The Priest Is Not His Own, helped immensely to deepen my insight into the Catholic priesthood. St.…

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The Lord Always Knows Better!

By Fr. Justino Cornejo / September 5, 2024 /

I do not know about you, but growing up I thought that I knew better than anybody. When I had to do something, I worked out a plan or I decided a course of action, and I was convinced that they were the absolute best. Indeed, it was always hard…

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To Whom Do I Belong?

By Celina Manville / September 4, 2024 /

As humans, we love to categorize – both others and ourselves – into specific groups, whether it be our political affiliations, our sports team loyalties, our personality types, and even our worship preferences. Somehow, by defining these aspects of ourselves, we think we can communicate our identity more effectively. Yet,…

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A woman praying in front of the eucharist monstrance

Christus Vivit

By Sean Callahan / September 3, 2024 /

“Speak, for your servant is listening (NABRE, 1 Sam 3:10). In today’s Gospel, we encounter Jesus’ words. They command the obedience of a demon and the attention of the crowd (Lk 4:32.36). His words leave the people stunned: “What is there about his word?” (Lk 4:36). What If? Now, what…

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