Forgiveness
Matthew shares with us a familiar parable today. We have all heard it many times, and it’s an easy tale for us to relate to and understand. It’s familiar because, we too, tend to resist forgiveness. Forgiveness, especially if you struggle with this, must be better understood if it has [...]
The Lessons of the Canaanite Woman
It’s often true that the most difficult readings from Scripture have the most valuable lessons. Sometimes this is because of their subtlety; other times, it is because of the cultural nuances with which we no longer have experience. There are times, too, when the readings are difficult, because they challenge [...]
Rich Soil, Solid Foundation
I admire the true gardeners, those who can make the beautiful and the useful grow. I am in awe of these people. If you are one of them, I thank God for you. I have the well-deserved reputation among my family and friends, including here in the office, of being [...]
Pentecost
This Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. As we conclude our fifty days of Easter rejoicing, we acknowledge Jesus’s parting gift to us: the gift of the Holy Spirit and the power of this Spirit in the church. This is not a soft-serve message. This is a challenge. The [...]
Choose Love
Jesus said to his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) In our Gospel reading for this weekend, Jesus continues his farewell speech to the disciples. So, too, does his message of love continue. What does he refer to when he instructs his followers to [...]
Perpetual Adoration
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting (Psalm 118:1). Just a week into Easter, and the very first Sunday following our joyful celebration of Jesus’s resurrection, we mark God’s great goodness with Divine Mercy Sunday, for He IS good, and his love IS everlasting. [...]
Slow Down!
“Slow down!” I often tell my husband that; if I had a quarter for every time I said (or yelled) this at our children, we’d both be able to quit our jobs and live a life of lazy luxury. Our youngest two are boys, filled to the brim with movement [...]
Lent Is An Opportunity
The unseasonably wonderful weather we’ve been having these last few weeks makes me hopeful that spring is on its way. It also makes it easy for me to believe that it’s already very near to Lent, and therefore, closer to Easter. In just a few days, Lent will begin. It’s [...]
Humility
As we set out to become disciples, it’s only natural – even expected – that our very first questions and uncertainties are, “How do I do that?”, or “What will I need to do to become a disciple?” The response to this reaction is at once promising and challenging. This [...]
Mary, Our Model of Inner Life
“Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19) What does this very simple, yet inexplicably powerful verse mean? Why does it resonate so deeply with so many of us? It is a revelation in Mary’s role in our prayer life. Mary’s approach to prayer demonstrates [...]
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