The Grace of Indelible Value
Value is assigned by the one with authority to confer it. Our value as humans is assigned by God Himself, that transcends personal preference or public opinion or any other human convention. Today’s Gospel parables have one thing in common: the intrinsic value of what was lost.
The Prayer of an Earthen Shelter
Perhaps Christ’s admonition to renounce our earthly possessions is not just about things that fill our dwellings, but anxieties, fears, expectations — these possessions we hold in our minds and cling to like a child clings to an old, smelly blanket.
A Meek and Humble Heart
Jesus is the ultimate example of humility — incarnate, reliant on Mary and Joseph as an infant and child, handing himself over to be crucified, and now allowing himself to be consumed by the faithful daily, in the guise of bread and wine in the Eucharist.
The Disciple of Discipleship
What is it that you desire most? This is a powerful question that must be asked and answered if we want to avoid a haphazard, disjointed, and chaotic life. It also must be asked and answered if we claim to be a person of faith who is committed to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Fire of Discipleship
The passages from Luke’s Gospel that we are hearing in this span of Ordinary Time invite us to reflect on what it means to live our faith, to put into practice what we profess. Today’s passage presents a different, even startling facet of Jesus’ teachings.
Less Stress, More Faith
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus gives us an important example as to how we are to exercise our faith. As believers, we have an active expectation that Jesus will come again. This is the important difference between those who believe and those who do not.
Encountering Jesus
Jesus says, “one’s life does not consist of possessions,” I still struggle with this … perhaps, I’m not the only one. I want the joy and freedom of a saint like St. Francis of Assisi, but I am slow to embrace the voluntary poverty through which that joy and freedom flourished.
Abraham Drew Nearer
The theme that leaps off the page from today’s readings is persistence in prayer. To the modern world, that’s a very strange — almost silly — concept. If God is omnipotent, why does he need to be asked to do anything?
Distracted Visits with Jesus
Do we, like Martha of Bethany, approach Jesus frenzied, anxious, and worried about many things — work, home, or family? Do we miss out on the one thing needed and forfeit the better part? Especially during Mass, when we encounter the Real Presence of Christ?
Who Is My Neighbor?
This weekend’s Gospel once again details Jesus’ commandment on love. This is not a new teaching by any stretch. However, it is given a new twist when love of neighbor is elevated to the same status as love of God.
Called to Make the Kingdom a Reality
The disciples’ journey and their announcement of the coming of the Kingdom — and of the King himself — was the action. But beneath the surface, within the hearts and souls of those early evangelizers was their faith in and relationship with Jesus and with one another.
Living the Gospel in a Secular World
Jesus calls us to love him no matter what the circumstances of our life may be. This Sunday’s readings give us some important clues on how to balance the practice of our faith with the demands of life in the 21st century.