Our Ministry of Reconciliation
For Sunday, March 6, 2016, 4th Sunday of Lent Pope Francis’ latest book, The Name of God Is Mercy, provides some wonderful reflections on mercy and forgiveness as we celebrate this Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis tells us that “Mercy is the first attribute of God. The name of God is mercy. There are […]
This Same God Is Our God
For Sunday, February 28, 2016, 3rd Sunday of Lent Recently, the scientific community was shaken by the news that a theory of Einstein, made almost a hundred years ago, was verified. Through the use of an ultra-sensitive telescope, Dr. Nergis Mavalvala and her team at MIT, proved that there has been a ripple in space-time. […]
Attentive to the Grandeur of God
For Sunday, February 21, 2016, 2nd Sunday of Lent Oh, to be Peter, James, and John! In the company of others, they walked with Jesus, heard him teach, saw him heal and perform miracles, had dinner with him. Who wouldn’t want to have such everyday moments with the Lord? Then, in Sunday’s Gospel, we hear […]
Temptations of the Election Cycle
For Sunday, February 14, 2016, 1st Sunday of Lent It seems that all election cycles begin with voters bemoaning the lackluster candidates running for office. If this year’s candidates appear to be more mockable than ever, they are at least generating record turnout and voter interest. Election years provide an opportunity to take the pulse […]
The Cost of Discipleship
For Sunday, February 7, 2016, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time Choosing to follow Jesus may on one hand appear to require a yes or no response. For some it boils down to simply a matter of belief. It could center on whether one believes that Jesus is, in fact, God, whether he really has shown […]
It Is Not Naïve to Believe in Love
For Sunday, January 31, 2016, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time There are a few books that can make you tear up every time you read them. One such book is Love You Forever, a children’s book written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Sheila McGraw. It was first released in 1986 and since then has […]
Belief Marked by Ritual
For Sunday, January 24, 2016, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time The online Oxford Dictionaries defines ritual as “a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.” Merriam-Webster broadens the definition even more to “a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place […]
Filling the Water Jars
For Sunday, January 17, 2016, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time The Second Sunday of Ordinary Time presents us with the wedding miracle at Cana in John’s Gospel, continuing to center on the manifestation of the Lord, which was celebrated on the solemnity of the Epiphany. The feast of the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, and […]
Grace Awakens
For Sunday, January 10, 2016, The Baptism of the Lord The latest installment in one of Hollywood’s most successful movie franchises, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, became the fastest to reach one billion dollars in ticket sales. Though it takes place in a galaxy far, far away, one of the key characters of the Star Wars […]
Looking Up
For Sunday, January 3, 2016, The Epiphany of the Lord On a summer’s day in 1879, an amateur archeologist named Marcelino de Sautuola went into a cave in Altamira, Spain, looking for prehistoric artifacts. He’d been there several times before, and hadn’t found much of interest. But this day, he brought with him his eight-year-old daughter. […]
Fifteen Minutes in a Target
For Sunday, December 27, 2015, The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph We were in Target, shopping for something I have long since forgotten. We often find ourselves in stores long after the intentionality of buying something has past, now aimlessly encountering things that promise to make our lives better or more exciting. On this […]
A Season of Joyful Hope
For Sunday, December 20, 2015, 4th Sunday of Advent The woman had a frantic look in her eye. Her hands were continually measuring out six-inch stretches of sheet on her hospital bed. She would glance at the clock. Then her eyes moved to the window and back to my face. “How can you be so calm?” […]