Happy Easter! Our Lord is risen, indeed, He has truly risen! Easter is a time of newness of life. There’s a freshness in the air. A renewed energy and hopefulness. Pope Francis has declared this a Jubilee year of Hope. As Christians, nothing could bring us more hope than Jesus’s empty tomb. Take a moment and imagine if St. Mary Magdalen had found the tomb sealed with Jesus’s body remaining there. Everything would be different.…
Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? – Isaiah 43:18-19 Did you know that I am a convert? Yes! I went through RCIA and became Catholic when I was 17 years old. One of my dearest childhood friends is Catholic, and I sensed something different and beautiful about her family’s faith. The way…
…he came in search of fruit on it but found none. – Luke 13:6 What’s going on with the fig tree in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 13:1-9)? It has failed to bear fruit for three years. It’s just there among the other trees of the orchard taking up space and water and depleting the nutrients in the soil. The one who owns the orchard tells the gardener–the one in charge of caring for the…
…they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. Luke 9:32 In the Transfiguration of Christ, each of the Persons of the Holy Spirit is present. It is a theophany–a tangible manifestation–of the Holy Trinity. Jesus appeared in glory, the shining “Light of the World” (John 8:12); the Holy Spirit appeared as a “bright cloud;” and the Father spoke: “then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my chosen Son;…
A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit (Lk 6: 43). What is this “good fruit” that Jesus speaks of in our Gospel this Sunday? Fruits of the Holy Spirit are “perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the first fruits of eternal glory…[they are]: ‘charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity’” (CCC 1832). These are most definitely “good fruits.”…
…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28 Here’s one of those Bible verses that’s easy to remember, sounds simple enough, but is one of the most difficult virtues to live out as a Christian disciple: love your enemies. We think to ourselves, “Yes, I strive to love everyone, even my enemies.” But then when the rubber meets the road…
Reflecting on the Beatitudes always brings about a sense of repentance in me. They have a way of holding up a magnifying glass to my motivations. They make me ask myself: what makes me make the choices I make each day? Are my intentions motivated by love of God and my neighbor, or love of myself? In the Beatitudes, Jesus addressed the reality that each of us face daily: our priorities and motivations. Our Gospel…
When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. –Luke 5:11 What does it “cost” to be a Christian disciple? Some might say, “Nothing! Discipleship is free!” While that is true on one level, it’s also true that discipleship is actually “expensive.” It costs us time for prayer, worship, and fellowship. It costs conversion of heart, discipline, the acceptance of suffering, and more. The Cost of Discipleship was written by…
…and you yourself a sword will pierce, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. – Luke 2:35 Do you ever find yourself burdened by worrying, ruminating over events and words of the past, or anxiety over things to come? Do your troubled thoughts ever overwhelm you? I can relate, and if so, this reflection is for you! Did you know that Mary has a very special role in our salvation as mediatrix of…
Have you ever felt far away from God? Perhaps you can relate to the Lost Sheep who wandered away from the Good Shepherd or the Prodigal Son who exiled himself and then returned to the Father (see Luke 15). Maybe you have found your way back to Him through a friend or by encountering the Lord in a new way. Call to mind this feeling of “exile” or feeling far away from God as you…