Second Sunday of Lent – In our dark moments, we need to learn how to live this life as Jesus, how to believe and trust as Jesus did. He obviously held on to the experience of the Transfiguration as he hung from a cross on another hilltop. It was the experience on the Mount of …
In our gospel for today, Jesus makes it unmistakably clear that you and I, his followers, are under obligation to love our enemies. Of all his teachings this is perhaps the most difficult to understand, approve and obey. At first glance it seems more like an idealistic dream than a serious thought about life. There …
To enter the kingdom of God, to realize the reign of God among us in the here and now, we must embrace a new attitude toward God and one another, an attitude based on compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and justice, an attitude not centered in one’s self but in the common good. Such is the holiness …
Most of us have experienced dark times; times when we were sure God had abandoned us. When those events are behind us, though, we are sometimes able to grasp the greater plan at work through those misfortunes. Very few of us can claim that our lives have turned out exactly as we had planned when …
Open our spirits and illuminate our hearts this Lent, O God, that we may see the many signs of your loving presence in every moment and experience of our lives. By the gift of your grace, may we, in turn, become living signs of your compassionate presence in our midst, of your call to reconciliation, …
What does it mean to us to have a devoted Father in heaven who cherishes us and willingly forgives our sins? How do we embody the Father’s merciful love for others? How do we hallow his name in our lives? In what ways do we contribute to the building up of his kingdom? Everything we …
The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle – Through our efforts at reconciliation and struggles to forgive and seek forgiveness may we be entry points to God’s reign of justice and mercy. We need to “bind” our communities and households in compassion and respect and “loosen” one another from the fears and hopelessness that keep …
First Sunday of Lent – Like Jesus, we need divine resources in times of misfortune. We need the kind of help that only God can give. Jesus was alone in the wilderness yet he was not alone. Mark says: “He was with the wild beasts and angels waited on him.” Whatever that passage is telling …
As we fast this lent let us be mindful of why we are fasting. What positive good will flow from it? Will our fasting remind us of the presence of Jesus in our lives? Will our fasting help us to be more accepting of other sinners like ourselves? Will our fasting lead us to erase …
If you have a difficult time appreciating religion in your life maybe it is because there is not enough life in your understanding of religion, namely, the life of those in need. This Lent let us fast from our needs and reach out to others in need, for the bridegroom is with us.
