Picture this: a sanctuary. Still, sacred, and brimming with mystery. From the right side, something begins to stir. A small spring bubbles forth, emerging from the threshold of the temple. It’s quiet at first, barely brushing your ankles. But it doesn’t stay that way. What starts as a trickle becomes living…
Once, my birthday was on a Sunday. I was quite new to the parish, and only a few knew, which was fine for me. After Mass, a sister greeted me (well, she remembered…), and just then a parishioner approached me. She has been looking for me to give me a…
We read today that whoever is in Christ is a new creation. But how does that work, and how do we get there? We’ll start with two words: Reconciliation and Lent. Lent and Reconciliation Theoretically, we are using the Lenten Season to grow closer to Christ. We are watching our…
Paolo Veronese, The Conversion of Mary Magdalene[1] Today’s Mass readings are the very heart of the Lenten journey. Let us stop for a moment and feel the soothing effect of the words of the Prophet Hosea: Come, let us return to the LORD, it is he who has rent, but…
In today’s Gospel our Lord speaks about the first commandment, which is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Christ then affirms what the scribe says that loving God and neighbor is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. So how do we love…
The Lenten season is a special time to pray, to reflect and to listen. God speaks to us through the scriptures, the prophets and in the quietness of our minds. As we journey through Lent, we are called to listen carefully in order to discern God’s will for us. This…
In this week’s gospel reading, Jesus lays out in the Sermon on the Mount a new discipline for mankind. Given his primarily Jewish audience, Matthew records that Jesus makes clear that His teachings on the mountain do not replace the existing commandments and Torah (Law of Moses), but rather, His…
God always has great plans for us His creatures. In the accomplishment of these plans, He usually invites us to cooperate with Him. The interesting thing is that He never comes with force but invites us with great arguments and persuasive words. We find all these played out in the…
The Ones Who Do Not Deserve It: Our natural tendency in life is to question why we did not get something that another did, and consequently, to judge why we deserve it more than others. In the Gospel today Jesus talks about the ones who “don’t deserve it” getting something:…
‘For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? (Mt 16:26). Introduction Ordinarily, one works hard to protect and preserve whatever one cherishes. We always keep eye on the things we…