“He saved us and called us to a holy life…” – 2 Timothy 1:9 This second week of Lent, we travel up Mt. Tabor with Peter, James, and John and witness Jesus’ Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9). This miraculous manifestation of the Holy Trinity seems like a strange detour during Lent. Shouldn’t we be sitting somewhere covered in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:5-6)? Instead, we find ourselves on a mountaintop surrounded by Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, the…
“Restore to me the gladness of your salvation; uphold me with a willing spirit.” – Psalm 51:14 Psalm 51 is one of my favorites. Also known as the Miserere, it is a central penitential prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. It’s a touchstone we can come back to again and again when we have sinned, when we feel the weight of our transgressions and those of the world in which we live. It’s one…
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, so let’s talk about true love! Jesus requires His disciples to be full of His truth and love. Our Responsorial Psalm this Sunday begins: “Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1). Our “Way,” Jesus, is indeed blameless. We are called to become like Him in all things. Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6) and love…
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.’” – Matthew 5:13 Ask any cook and they’ll tell you that a little salt makes almost everything taste better. Just a pinch will bring out the flavor of whatever you are cooking. It’s an almost invisible…
“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, who have observed his law; seek justice, seek humility.” – Zephaniah 2:3 St. Augustine said, “We all want to live happily.” He’s right, of course. Who doesn’t want to be happy? God has placed the desire for happiness in each and every human heart (cf CCC 1725). The Catechism teaches that the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) “shed light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the Christian…
“Anguish has taken wing, dispelled is darkness: for there is no gloom where but now there was distress.” – Isaiah 9:1 Imagine you walk into a completely dark room. You turn on the light, and the darkness is gone. Where does it go? Darkness doesn’t go anywhere, because it is not a thing. Darkness is a lack of light. The darkness is dispelled by the light. Wherever the light is, darkness cannot exist. Our Sunday…
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” – John 1:29 I greatly admire how St. John the Baptist recognized Jesus immediately upon encountering Him. Even when John was a babe in the womb he recognized the presence of Christ in Mary’s womb and responded boldly with joy. Elizabeth (John’s mother) proclaimed to Mary: “For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my…
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters, the Lord, over vast waters. The voice of the Lord is mighty; the voice of the Lord is majestic.” – Psalm 29: 3-4 This scene of the Baptism of the Lord (Matthew 3:13-17) is one of the few times when we hear directly from God the Father. His voice resounds over the waters of the Jordan and reveals Jesus’s identity: “And a voice came from the…
Have I ever told you how much I love St. John Henry Newman? He is a Doctor of the Church now! (If you know me, you’re probably thinking, “Yes, Carey, you’re always talking about how much you love Newman.” lol!) It takes a little time to get the knack for reading his work, but once you do, I think you’ll agree that his sermons, meditations, and poems are rich with truth, goodness, and beauty. They…
“Let the peace of Christ control your hearts; Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” – Colossians 3:15/16 Merry Christmas! I hope you’re still listening to Christmas carols, turning on the sparkling lights, and celebrating with family and friends, because it’s still Christmas! So many favorite Christmas hymns proclaim God’s joy: “Oh come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant…” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” with its “tidings of comfort and joy,” and of…