Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more.- Psalm 72:7 During the first week of Advent we focused on the gift of hope, which is connected in a deep way to this week’s gift: peace–pax in Latin. St. Paul taught that God is the true source of our peace: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound…
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. – Luke 2:19 I imagine Mary’s Immaculate Heart like a beautiful jewelry box: decked with delicate flowers on the outside, yet still pierced with a sword (Luke 2:35). Like Christ’s Sacred Heart, it is on fire with love. Inside, her heart is lined with soft velvet, a sacred place to ponder the mysteries of Christ’s childhood. Her beautiful heart contains precious memories, prayers,…
Have you ever seen a watchtower? You could imagine a tall tower in a castle where knights keep watch for dangers. Take special note of the watchtower in the parable of the vineyard in this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Matthew 21: 33-43). The watchtower is a place of safety, a place to keep a lookout for things that might damage the vineyard, like thieves and enemies. But pay close attention, because the tenants in this reading…
For this week’s reflection, I want to focus on just one of the types of soil from the parable of the sower: the thorny soil. Jesus said, “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit” (Matthew 13:22). It’s important to remember that God has chosen us, His disciples, to bear fruit. Jesus told His…
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light. Matthew 11:28-30 Rest, Little One, rest in Me. I will take care of you. I will take care of all things. I am your God and I…
This is Gaudete Sunday, the day when we focus on rejoicing in the coming of Christ. In our first reading, Isaiah tells us that in the presence of the Lord, even the desert will “bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice in joyful song” (Is 35:2). But let’s be honest, do you feel more like you’re in a dry desert than an oasis right now? Is it hard to be truly joyful in this moment? If…
Money is a tool we are meant to use for good. Sometimes tools can become our masters, bossing us around. Jesus warns us: “No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon” (Lk 16:13). In Jesus’s time, having a master meant that you were a slave. We are called to be “slaves,” or…
Have you ever wondered where your heart lives? Of course, your physical heart lives in your body. Your spiritual heart is the seat of your conscience, emotions, and desires. It’s deep within you, yet it can also be elsewhere. Our hearts can be overly focused on gaining money, power, and possessions, resulting in greed; on another person, resulting in obsession; in earthly pleasure, resulting in sin; or even on ourselves, resulting in selfishness. These are…
Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (Jn 14:27). We all yearn for this true peace, and Christ gives it to us as a free gift. So why are our hearts still troubled when we believe that His peace is with us? It…